When Stella woke up, she almost forgot how hectic and exhausting Ophelia’s birthday was…

The Chevalier’s tradition was to host an extravagant celebration for the entire day. During the day, Ophelia’s guests and acquaintances would be attending the birthday party, in which Stella expected a long guest list from the eldest daughter of Chevalier. Later in the evening, there would be a special family banquet, which was the main highlight of today. This meant that Stella would be accompanying her fiancé the entire day without time to take a breather.  

She had to prepare in the morning, welcome each guest who arrived at the party at 9 o’clock, and accompany the birthday girl to socialize with every single guest while maintaining a friendly demeanor. The alpha recalled how long and exhausting these extravagant parties were, but at least this time she could keep up with all these trivial conversations quite well due to her experience living with them for three years.

Time flew so quickly when her mind was completely occupied with the party, and before she realized it again the guests had begun leaving already. This perhaps was a good time for Stella to sneak out and get some time to take a breather. She took a glass of fruit juice before finding a spot in the garden to loosen up while being accompanied by the young pink-haired boy who managed to hide cookies in his handkerchief. They found a comfortable spot in the garden before taking their seats on the bench.

“I managed to get some snacks for you. These shortbread cookies are the best ones in my opinion.”

“You’re the best Matteo…I’m too busy to even eat anything properly.”

Stella couldn’t eat and drink comfortably since morning because her fiancé dragged her around to greet every guest while flaunting their “happy” engagement. As she took the first bite, it was as the boy said, these cookies were lovely and she savored its delicate taste to her heart’s content followed by a gulp of fresh apple juice. 

“You looked so cool at the party. I wished I could be like you someday…”

The young boy admired how composed and dignified Stella was as she walked around conversing with all the guests so naturally by Ophelia’s side. Unlike himself, she was more of an alpha than he could ever become and sometimes felt he was born with the wrong secondary gender. If Matteo must be honest, he felt like a total failure to the family’s name.

“I wish I could be like you and others. I’m the furthest thing from what an alpha should be.”

Kindly and patiently, Stella listened and let him vent his heart out. It was true that his personality contradicted what one would expect from a typical alpha. He lacked the boldness, assertiveness, and leadership qualities. However, she did not see him as a weak man as he perceived himself to be.

“Everyone has their strengths and flaws. You are very smart and observant in a way I even admire those qualities in you.”

“Y-You’re exaggerating…”

Regardless of what he thought about himself, Stella acknowledged that he possessed one of the greatest qualities that earned her respect wholeheartedly. She didn’t know him personally to know what kind of man he grew up to become due to their minimal interaction in her past life, but for certain if it wasn’t for his perseverance to seek justice for his sister then Stella wouldn’t be here in the first place.

She wished she could thank him in person since she owed him for guiding her to the truth, and gave her the chance to make things right this time—for all of them.

The moment she closed her eyes for a second, Stella recalled a short unforgettable moment that only the duchess and a handful of her followers witnessed. It evoked the old pain she once experienced when she saw…his lifeless body lying in the pool of his blood. Before the old memories resurfaced further, she snapped herself back to reality and directed her focus to the boy next to her instead.

“What I want to say is that…we can’t choose what kind of family to have or what gender we would like to have, am I right? But at least we can choose what kind of person we want to become.”

“…”

“What kind of person would you like to become?”

Stella threw back the question which somewhat sparked some kind of flame inside the young boy’s heart. It didn’t take that long before Stella could feel the spark of his perseverance through those green glistening eyes. He was a sharp-witted boy after all. He didn’t need much guidance to find the answer that he already held close to his heart. 

“I want to be stronger and reliable so I can protect my sister. She always protects me this whole time until now…and I don’t want to keep hiding behind her back anymore.”

“Then just focus on making that happen.”

She gave him a pat on the back to express her support as she was more than confident that he would grow up to become a great man. While they were enjoying their bonding time, they were rudely interrupted by a group of young nosy Chevaliers who inserted themselves into their conversation. Unfortunately, one of those people was Mabel and she didn’t hesitate to strike up a conversation with them.

“Oh my, didn’t expect to encounter you two again.”

She felt pairs of eyes glance over at them, the apple juice in her hand, and the leftover cookies scornfully. The obnoxious cousins wouldn’t want to miss the chance to humiliate the alpha for acting like a cheap noble eating leftover food from the banquet. Despite their attempts to insult her, Matteo was more amazed at how unbothered Stella was.

“I know you’re all barking for my attention desperately, but I don’t have enough energy to stroke your poor ego today.”

It was perhaps her nonchalant tone that made her remark hit them harder than usual, and Matteo could visibly see his cousins’ faces turn bright red out of rage. Even though they wished to argue back, their instinct warned them not to mess with her. Stella’s cold icy blue eyes were accompanied by fearless pheromones permeating the air, which sent chills down their spine. The Chevalier boys, including Caleb, were undoubtedly intimidated by her dominating air except for Mabel.  

Perhaps it was the omega instinct that made her attracted to a strong alpha despite how bad their previous interaction was—she seemed drawn to the alpha’s repulsiveness. As Stella intentionally angered Caleb and others, he was just about to challenge her into a fight until Mabel stopped him.

“Just stop, Caleb. The more you try the more pathetic you’ll be.”

“H-Huh? What are you saying, Mabel? Are you implying that I’m weaker than her?”

“No offense to you, even if I may dislike her repulsive attitude…you couldn’t even compare to half of her charisma as an alpha.”

What she was about to happen was something that no one, especially Stella, expected that omega to utter. Whether it was intentional or not, the fact she complimented Stella would be instigating the tension between the two alphas. No noble alpha would love to be compared to another. Regardless of the alpha’s attempts to keep her at arm’s length, this lunatic omega would still try to insert herself and persistently get involved with her.

As expected, Caleb didn’t take that well at the slightest, especially when it was his blood-related older sister who heartlessly compared him to the Albrecht alpha. Matteo stepped in with the hope of easing the situation, but it was futile. The young enraged male alpha challenged her to a fight to see who was the stronger one, but Stella refused to play with his or Mabel’s game.  

Anger clouded his reason and so he reached out to grab her, but Stella swiftly brushed his hand away. She stood up and gave him a warning shove to the chest, making him fall on his behind.

“…That’s my last warning, you do not want to humiliate yourself further than this.”

“You bastard—!!”

The moment he got up and tightened his fist, a familiar stern shout abruptly ended the tension before it could escalate further. Ophelia glared and marched towards them before demanding an explanation of the situation. No one answered the enraged omega since the boys realized they were caught in the act, except for her shameless cousin.

“It is nothing for you to be concerned about, Ophelia. You know how the alphas have their little brawling moments to settle who is the superior one, right?”

Mabel giggled while wearing a relaxed smile, treating it like a trivial matter, but Ophelia did not make any comments on that. One could tell that the pink-haired was not pleased with what she saw and brusquely told Stella and Matteo to follow her as they needed to get ready for the family banquet later in the evening.   

“Since this is the first time…allow me to kindly remind all of you how much I despise anyone who tries to touch what is mine.”

The older omega looked daggers at them with utter discontent. Stella knew that the warning wasn’t directed to Caleb and the other boys, but it was to Mabel to stay away from her. As the three of them walked off, the black-haired alpha took a quick peek behind…and she could see an abnormal amount of animosity in Mabel’s eyes. It was as if she harbored this feeling for a long time already. It seemed Mabel also despised her cousin to the core.

As now they were walking along the corridor, the pink-haired omega turned to her fiancé and ordered her to stay away from Mabel. She didn’t hesitate to use such ignoble vulgar language to address her blood-related cousin, which emphasized how much she disliked her.

“If I see you interacting with that shameless bitch again, I will make sure you know your place.”

It wasn’t a simple warning, but rather a threat. It was clear as day how much they both despised each other. Nevertheless, Stella had no intention of being docile and obedient to her aggressive attitude either.

“It’s not like I want to interact with her. She gave off nasty vibes since our first encounter in the hallway. However, isn’t it too unreasonable to punish me when she’s the one who walked up to me?”

“You are my property so do as I say. Since you’re so wise, then why don’t you make use of that good brain of yours? I don’t care what method you use, as long as I do not see you speak to her again.”

The poor little brother was caught in the crossfire, and he was too anxious to utter a word. He felt that his sister was too harsh to the black-haired alpha, but then he couldn’t bring himself to say anything since he noticed how strangely irritated Ophelia was. He wouldn’t want to agitate her more and could only glance back and forth between them nervously.

“…I believe we should discuss this on a later day. Today is your special day after all.”

Stella got the message—Ophelia wanted to keep her away from her evil cousin, which was more of an act of desperation. She didn’t blame her for that since Stella was more than aware of how spiteful Mabel was and could be. As negotiation between them was never an option to begin with, she tried to stir away from the topic instead.

“Then do your job better as my fiancé figure. Did I not tell you to stay next to me the entire time?”

“You’re right, that’s my fault on that part. It won’t happen again.”

The alpha didn’t put up any resistance and fortunately ended their quick heated exchange. Despite the birthday party going smoothly, the real highlight of today was yet to start.

-

Early evening, they changed into an outfit suitable for Chevalier’s dinner banquet. The Albrecht noble wore a matching out with her fiancé that was specially tailored for her. Surprisingly, it comfortably fitted nicely as she checked herself out in the mirror. A classic suit with custom crimson lining patterns, the signature color of the family’s emblem, matching the gold and crimson dress that Ophelia would be wearing. It was the same as she remembered in her previous life. To no surprise, it was common for the lover, or fiancé in this case, to wear a matching outfit to a party anyway.

Nevertheless, she didn’t forget to pick up two birthday gifts from her room. Despite being aware of what was soon to happen, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“…There’s no turning back. It’s time to get moving.”

After taking a deep breath, Stella headed over to meet Matteo and Ophelia who were waiting for her in front of the dressing room. They were waiting for her as she said she had forgotten something in her room. The birthday girl turned around to scold her fiancé for being late since they should be arriving at the family’s banquet hall by now.

“You’re late. How dare you keep me waiting for you?”

“I didn’t take that long though. You’re exaggerating.”

“I have the right to complain here.”

“Yes ma’am, if you say so.”

Stella was unfazed by Ophelia’s scolding about her tardiness, and it was about time for them to head over to the banquet. Before they entered, the alpha extended her hand out for Ophelia to hold onto before she led her through the door.

“Let’s go inside together, Ophelia.”

Now that the omega had a longer look at her fiancé, she was grateful she picked the right design to compliment Stella’s gallant demeanor. Even though Ophelia was wearing a stoic expression, her heart was fluttering just from looking into her clear blue eyes. She took her hand before she allowed her fiancé to escort her.

As they entered, all eyes set on them. They were the stars of this banquet after all.

The oldest daughter of Marquis Chevalier and her Albrecht fiancé.

For several of them, they only heard rumors that Ophelia was engaged to the youngest Albrecht, but this was the first time they saw Stella standing next to her. As the night went on, everything proceeded as Stella remembered vividly, many Chevalier relatives came up to them to congratulate Ophelia with extravagant birthday gifts. The banquet proceeded smoothly, and she was simply waiting for the signal before the climax would happen. Time certainly ticked by so slowly when she was waiting anxiously for the sign…

“Don’t mind me being curious here…so what did your fiancé get for you?”

Here it was—that was the question that Stella had been waiting to hear this entire night, and without making eye contact with any of them she could feel all eyes were focused on her. This was exactly how it went before, and it was about time to make sure she acted well without looking suspicious as well.

“That’s true, I’m curious as well about what you have for me, Stella.”

Ophelia turned around to face her and she knew this was her cue to act according to the original plotline. She carefully made sure that she pulled out the fake present from her pocket before handing it over to her fiancé with a smile across her face.

“I would like to give this to you in private, but since it was brought up then I supposed there is no harm in presenting it now.”

Those were the exact words she once said. She was doing her very best to act according to the original timeline to prevent any massive deviation or change. She quietly watched the omega unwrap the present with others watching closely, her heart pounded nervously. Aside from acting naturally, she also needed to pretend that she was hurt by Ophelia’s actions too. The moment she opened the box to reveal the lavender-colored crystal bracelet, Stella studied their facial expression and saw how disappointed they were as they expected an extravagant gift to be presented to the eldest daughter of the Marquis, not a simple crystal bracelet like this.

“Just a bracelet for a birthday gift? That’s rather disappointing…”

“Even worse, those crystals look so horrible and cheap…”

It was evident that these girls were not even trying to keep their volume down as Stella could even hear them crystal clear. They wanted Ophelia to know their opinion on how disappointing the first birthday gift she received from her fiancé was too pathetic for any Chevalier to hold them. It was more of a humiliation and an embarrassment to receive such a lame present such as this.

Right now, she was more anxious with Ophelia’s reaction. While others had a handful of things to comment on about the bracelet, the pink-haired omega was still in silence with an indescribable expression…and it didn’t take that long before she threw the entire box to the ground in front of her.

“You call this a gift? Do you think someone like me, the daughter of Marquis, even considered this thing wearable?”

She still remembered those words that she once said to her in the past, but something was different this time. The merciless omega raised her feet before Stella heard the sound of the crystals crushed loudly. She glanced down and saw the bracelet being crushed right underneath her feet. The attendees within the banquet turned their attention to them as Ophelia intentionally raised her voice to have all eyes on them.

Even though she knew what was about to happen, it caught her off guard nevertheless because it was different from her past life. She remembered vividly that the omega only threw the bracelet to the ground…and didn’t step on it.

“…!”

Stella slowly looked up to make eye contact with her before she felt the subtle aching twist in her chest.  Those coldhearted green eyes sent chills down her back. It was as if she was looking at a completely different ‘Ophelia’ that she knew this entire time. If it wasn’t for the fact that she turned back time to the past, then she would be convinced by her realistic act that this was the real Ophelia.

The main course of the event didn’t change thankfully, but her attitude and actions have changed.

Perhaps in this timeline, they became closer than before, and so Ophelia took extreme measures to hurt her feelings as much as possible. This unexpected action had caught the young future duchess off guard for half a second.

“What is that cheap thing? I had never seen that kind of thing before in my life!”

“I know right? How could she present such a lowly thing to our Ophelia?”

“Isn’t that more of an insult to present a cheap toy as a gift, especially on her birthday?”

Her cousins didn’t hesitate to jump in and humiliate her now that they had a chance, but none of their barking bothered her. It was Ophelia’s cold eyes and presence that made her heartache. She knew this wasn’t who she truly was, and she went to such great lengths to make sure Stella hated her after this.

How much pain did the omega have to shoulder just to become the center of Stella’s resentment for all those years?

As she recalled Ophelia’s true feelings written in the diary, her chest felt tighter than earlier and she was no longer able to hide her painful expression. Stella recalled how much the omega humiliated and pained her on this, but it felt even worse this time… Was she hurt by her actions and other people’s insults? Not in the slightest. It wasn’t just the Albrecht noble that felt this indescribable heartache, she was certain that perhaps Ophelia felt the same, or even far worse pain than hers.

“Reuben, throw away this trash for me and make sure no one sees it. This already brought me more than enough disappointment and humiliation I have experienced in my life.”

Her tone was cold and sharp as she called the senior butler to trash the broken bracelet while other Chevalier members talked and giggled in the background among themselves. It was more than obvious she was the focus of their discussion since she was an Albrecht, the daughter of the preceding duke. Nevertheless, it’s her queue to apologize and take her leave. Stella bowed and acted as sincerely as possible to convince others how pitiful and naïve she was, unknowingly presenting an unworthy gift for Ophelia’s birthday.

“Then…I will take my leave before my presence would only further make you recall this unpleasant moment, my sincerest apologies for ruining your special day like this.”

Stella swiftly headed for the exit, and walked out from the banquet hall without turning back to see how all eyes were staring down at her contemptuously. At last, she was able to take her leave from this place before finding some quiet corner to ponder over her next course of action. She let out a quick sigh of relief now that the climax of the event went by as smoothly as planned.

However, the discomfort still lingered in her chest.

As she planned to find somewhere quiet to hide and wait from afar until the banquet was over, she was then interrupted by a younger pink-haired boy who had worries scribbled all over his face. He came out just to find the older alpha after he witnessed the commotion earlier.

“S-Stella! Thank god you didn’t leave yet…”

“The birthday banquet is not over yet, Matteo. You shouldn’t be looking for me after I caused such a commotion earlier.”

“It is because I was worried about you…”

It was quite refreshing to have someone genuinely concerned about her well-being even though she was already used to this cold lonely place. She couldn’t help but let out a smile before patting the younger boy’s head.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. None of this bothered me.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. You should go back inside before someone questions your disappearance. It will be bad if anyone sees you with me.”

The boy nodded, but he seemed hesitant to leave. It was as if he wanted to say something to her, but in the end, he chose not to. Matteo gave her a quick bow before returning to the banquet. Now that Stella was alone, she hid in the nearby garden where she could see people entering and exiting the banquet hall easily without being noticed.

She intended to find and speak with her fiancé in private, but what would Stella say to her anyway?

Now that she thought about it, wouldn’t it be quite awkward to just initiate a conversation with her as if nothing happened earlier?  

“…Never mind, I’ll figure something out when I have a chance to speak with her in private.”

She let out a sigh before waiting quietly for the grandiose birthday banquet to end. Her eyes were fixed at the main entrance, waiting patiently for that familiar pink-haired omega to step out, but then there was no sign of her at the slightest.

Could she perhaps have left through another exit instead?

Now that she thought about it, Stella recalled there was another exit with a path leading directly to the residential manor they stayed at. She followed her gut feeling and she was thankful for it. Even though she didn’t find her fiancé, she saw Emily walking back to the residential manor by herself, which was quite odd to find her by herself like this.

She seemed in a hurry to go somewhere…and so the alpha followed her closely and quietly. The paranoid maid constantly checked her surroundings, afraid that someone would notice her suspicious behavior and follow her. At last, she arrived at the entrance to the library on the 2^nd floor of the manor. She took one glance around again before entering the library, but then Stella found that a perfect chance to step out from her hiding and grab onto her arm.

Emily had the shock of her life, and the alpha swiftly covered her mouth before a shriek could escape from her lips. Stella rested her finger against her lips, signaling the maid to stay quiet.

“Shh…It’s just me.”

She took a good look at the young alpha before she started to calm down. As she slowly removed her hands, Emily let out a long exhale as she pouted.

“L-Lady Stella! Please don’t scare me like that…! You almost gave me a heart attack…”

“I didn’t mean to surprise you like that. But anyways, do you know where Ophelia is?”

“H-Huh? Uhm…I-I don’t know! I was just running quick errands for Sir Reuben…”

Emily was such a horrible liar that even an amateur could see it from a mile away. Regardless of her answer, the Albrecht noble already knew where she was.  She glanced at the entrance to the library, which made the maid even more anxious.

“Ophelia is here, isn’t she?”

“U-Uh…”

“If you’re worried that I’m mad at her about what happened earlier, but if I don’t speak to her now then she…”

Stella paused and didn’t feel like finishing that sentence. She knew that Ophelia’s attitude today was her way to end their happy transitory dream they had shared for the past two months. It was still her plan to make Stella hate her, hence the drastic measures she took to hurt her. However, she had no intention of things going the way that Ophelia wanted—not this time.  

“…I won’t let things go the way she wanted. That’s why, I must go to her right now.”

Emily was moved by the gentleness in Stella’s tone and expression. That smile on her face would never belong to someone who harbored animosity towards her lady. She finally gave in and confirmed with the alpha that her fiancé was indeed here. Ophelia didn’t want anyone to find her, so her private study room became her secret hideout. That was quite smart of her to use this place to hide from all eyes in this manor since no one would expect to find her there.

“Lady Stella, if I may make a selfish request…could you please not hate Lady Ophelia?”

“You can rest assured. I don’t think I can ever hate her.”

One thing for certain was that she no longer was able to hate Ophelia like she used to anymore. What kind of feelings did she have towards her anyway? Perhaps guilt, sympathy, and desire to save her. The maid lowered her head before the alpha headed toward the omega’s study room. Standing by the door was already more than enough for her to pick up her faint lavender pheromones in the air. Emily knocked on the door before the noble lady inside knew that it was her loyal maid. Perhaps it was a secret code known between them so that Ophelia would know it was her.

“Door is not locked, come in.”

Emily silently turned to the young alpha before giving a hand gesture for Stella to enter instead. She didn’t forget to thank her before she entered alone. With just a glance, her eyes went straight to the pink-haired omega sitting at her study table, she was very focused on what was in front of her to notice the presence of the alpha.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding.”

Just hearing her voice instantly grabbed her attention. Ophelia darted a dumbfounded glance and realized it wasn’t Emily, but it was the young Albrecht alpha. Initially, she thought she was hallucinating, but the gentle fragrance of the burning pinewood proved her wrong. She was too flabbergasted to even formulate a response.

“Y-You—! A-Ah—”

Out of surprise, her fingers tensed up and she accidentally held the crystal shards between her fingers a little bit too hard. Her lips pursed out of surprise and incoming pain from the cut. The instant the young alpha saw blood oozing from her finger, she rushed over to her side and held her hand to check the open cut. When her blue eyes glanced at the tray of shattered lavender crystals, that made her heart experienced a painful squeeze.

She knew exactly what Ophelia was doing.

The stubborn omega secretly collected and attempted to repair the birthday present she gave her earlier. Even though she already knew this truth, to see it happen before her eyes had multiplied the twisting pain in her chest. 

“Those things are sharp, please don’t touch them anymore.”

“Get out. Who permitted you to enter my room so casually—”

“Don’t be stubborn and just stay still. I am going to disinfect and clean your cut.”

Even though the omega tried to shove her away and shot an intimidating glare, that wouldn’t be enough to stop the stubborn alpha. Her tone was assertive yet very gentle with her. Stella wetted the handkerchief with clean water from the nearby flagon and wiped the oozing blood off her fingers. The worrywart alpha meticulously checked for any crystal shards that could be left in her wound before checking the severity of the cut.

“Good thing that it is not a deep cut. Does it still hurt?”

“I-I’m fine…”

If it were any ordinary circumstances, Ophelia would’ve just shoved the alpha away and chased her out of the room…but seeing how concerned she was over such a small cut like this made her heart skip a beat. She held her finger firmly to apply enough pressure to stop the bleeding, yet also gently so that she wouldn’t hurt her. Once the bleeding stopped, Stella exhaled with a smile before pushing the tray of broken crystals away from her.

“You shouldn’t touch them anymore, or else you’ll get a cut again.”

“Whose fault is that then? Get out now.”

She tried to chase Stella away, but it was futile. The young alpha did not let go of her hand and had no intention of doing so. She wouldn’t let Ophelia get away that easily.  

“Whose fault is that then that mercilessly crushed the birthday gift that I gave you?”

As much as she hated to admit it, Ophelia pursed her lips and was out of words to say now that the alpha saw the shattered bracelet on the silver tray. Stella noticed clearly how conflicted she was right now. The older omega planned to create a permanent rift between them after all, but now that the stubborn alpha found her secret already.

“I don’t think there is anything you could do with it, just leave it be. The bracelet was beyond too shattered for anything to be done.”

“B-But—”

Words slipped out from her lips before she could stop herself. Stella realized she shouldn’t push the omega way too much. Her main goal was just to introduce a different ending from the previous timeline. If she was being too assertive, she might accidentally reveal too much information about the future and would shift the timeline entirely.

“…I knew it, no wonder you’re acting so strangely today.”

“What?”

“I’m not that oblivious not to notice these things. I could feel that you’ve been trying to make me hate you this entire time—including what you’ve done today.”

As Ophelia once deceived her with her villainess act, then she shall do the same to her as well. As the duchess of Northland in her previous life, she was quite confident she could mask her emotions and used her words well to deceive her too. No matter how cunning she may be, she was still mentally older than her. Furthermore, she continued to elaborate on how she noticed that Ophelia was exceptionally cruel towards her in front of other Chevaliers and servants, but that wasn’t the case behind closed doors when it was just Matteo and Emily.

 “I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve…and even though I were to ask for your reason I doubt would tell me anyway, right?”

“…”

Her silence was an answer. The stubborn omega avoided making eye contact with her at all costs. Perhaps she was pondering what she should do next now that her initial plan failed. Stella had said more than enough and decided to pull back so that she wasn’t teasing her way too much.

“Anyways, I won’t ask why until you’re ready to tell me yourself. At least, please remember that I don’t hate you…I doubt I can bring myself to hate you after learning what kind of person you are.”

That wasn’t a lie, but the alpha was not just referring to the present moment, she was also referring to the ‘Ophelia’ that was written in the diary in her previous life. As her gut feeling said this perhaps was the right timing…she noble took out the real birthday present from her pocket and gently placed it into her hand.

“You call that gut feeling. I felt that I should prepare two birthday presents instead in case anything happens—like today.”

The older lady silently listened to her while being quite amazed at how observant the black-haired alpha was. She admitted that she underestimated Stella because of her age and did not expect her to be this calculative. Her focus slowly shifted to the present in her hand, the box was wrapped neatly in gold wrap with a small bow attached to the top right-hand corner.  

“What is this?”

“I guess you can say it’s your real birthday gift. Truthfully, I wish I could give this to you in person rather than in front of others.”

Ophelia was visibly conflicted about whether she should open it or not, but seeing how the alpha insisted she reluctantly unwrapped the present. The second she opened the box to see what was inside, it left her speechless. From a single glance, she could tell that the quality of the gold and amethyst used. She gently touched the gold bracelet with the tip of her fingers, mesmerized by its intricate design, which aligned perfectly with her preference for jewelry.

“It’s not as extravagant compared to other gifts you receive today, but it has a sophisticated and classic touch to it. So, it should go well with most dresses.”

“…”

Stella noticed something was quite unusual in her expression...

She was dumbfounded, mouth agape, and blushed terribly that her ears were visibly red. Her stoic persona was thrown out of a window, and she looked like a teenager having the greatest shock of her lifetime. Stella was confused, her reaction was beyond what she would have expected. Eventually, the omega glared at her with disbelief. She was too speechless to formulate her thoughts and had no idea where to begin. She had to clear her throat a couple of times before could speak.

“I didn’t take you for being this bold with a lady…”

“H-Huh? What do you mean…?”

“There is no way you don’t know what you’ve done—! L-Look at what you gave me!”

The alpha was dumbfounded until she took a quick look at the bracelet in the box, and that was when she noticed a little problem she did—which was that handcrafted charm she had chosen without much consideration. The fact she accidentally added a star-shaped charm was perhaps worse than giving a heart-shaped one.

In this generation, when one wanted to express their affection for another person it was common to gift jewelry with shapes or patterns of a heart—it was an indirect way of giving someone a love letter, a cute tradition among young lovers nowadays. Stella was more than aware of this tradition, so she avoided choosing the heart-shaped charm.

“W-Wait! That w-wasn’t my intention I-I swear—!”

Even Stella lost her composure as well, and her face headed up from great embarrassment and realization. She tried to correct herself and didn’t realize that a star-shaped charm had been added to the bracelet. If it were to be someone else who wasn’t Stella, then it would simply be a cute ordinary charm.

Aside from that cute tradition among young lovers, there was another intimate way to express one’s devotion and feelings—to present a gift with the symbolism of their fragrance or name instead.

“You idiot…how careless could you be to gift a lady something like this??”

Ophelia scolded her while her heart was still pounding strongly against her ribcage and felt as if she was about to have a heart attack. If it were others she wouldn’t find any difficulty holding her composure. This felt more like torture because no omega would remain composed if their secret crush were to give something so intimate like this. Thus, the best way to vent her frustration was to punch the clumsy alpha on the shoulder.

“O-Ow! W-What was that for??”

“You deserved that.”

After both had some time to calm down, Ophelia could still feel the blood rushing up her face while holding onto the bracelet tightly. She let out a long exhale before she reluctantly shoved the bracelet straight at the alpha after some consideration. At the very least, she had enough pride not to take an accidental gift since it didn’t sit right with her.

“Since it’s an accident, then take it back. I will be nice to you and pretend that none of this ever happened.”

“…”

Silence was her response and she eventually took the bracelet from her hand. Even though she insisted the younger alpha take it back, she couldn’t deny a part of her wanted to keep it. The memory of this clumsy accident was more than enough of a birthday gift that would bring a smile to her face every time she thought about it…

“H-Huh?”

“There you go. I knew it this would suit you well.”

At this point, Ophelia should’ve known by now that Stella was equally or even more stubborn than she was. While the omega was deep in her thoughts, she swiftly put on the bracelet around her wrist. It was a perfect size—neither too big nor too small for her.

“I’m not going to take it back. This is custom-made specifically for you, the amethyst was used to represent the color of the fresh lavender and…a-ahem, even though the star-shaped charm was unintentional, this is still meant to be yours.”

She cleared her throat with a hint of nervousness while doing her utmost best to convince her that Ophelia should take the gift. The design was simple and elegant just the way she liked it, and she couldn’t deny how this lavender amethyst made her heart squirm—its color matched with the flower fragrance of her pheromones. Feeling her heart throbbing with overwhelming joy, she realized Stella’s natural charisma might be unhealthy for her in the long run.

“…Fine. I’ll keep it as you insisted.”

“Really? Phew, that’s more like it.”

The longer they prolonged this conversation the harder for Ophelia to remain composed in front of her. Upon her response, the younger alpha was brimmed with joy and had a huge smile of relief written on her face. Judging from how they interacted so casually and naturally, it was as if the incident at the banquet never happened. Ophelia couldn’t comprehend how the younger alpha was very forgiving when she humiliated her in front of others so badly. Any ordinary noble would’ve felt offended regardless, but Stella showed no interest in how others perceived her…

-

Emily waited for her master patiently in front of her room before she caught a glimpse of two figures walking up towards her. The moment she saw them she experienced a huge sense of relief upon seeing the couple having a lighthearted conversation. It was the best-case scenario she had hoped for. As she served as Ophelia’s maid for years, she recalled the only time she would witness her lady’s real smile was when Stella was by her side.

“I don’t know how you Chevaliers keep up with these extravagant banquets, but I’m exhausted just being an attendee.”

“…Sometimes I questioned if you are even a noble judging from your attitude.”

Ophelia didn’t hesitate to insult the younger alpha, who technically had higher nobility status than the Chevaliers. No sane noble would tolerate such defamation, but Stella had just as much of a sharp tongue as her pink-haired fiancé.

“That’s what you called a ‘down-to-earth’ personality in case you do not know what that means. Members of the Chevalier family sure do have a twisted understanding that nobility equates to spending astronomical sums of gold on selfish and unnecessary matters.”

Emily was caught off guard hearing the two nobles exchanging with no filter, being brutally honest with each other while neither felt offended by it. Instead, she noticed how soft she looked as she bickered with her fiancé. Despite the subtle signs, she noticed the corner of her lips lifted as she spoke. Even though they arrived at her bedroom, they continued with their little squabble.

“I can clearly see from your taste in choosing birthday gifts—utterly simple and plain. Born a noble yet a cheap commoner’s taste.”

“You never heard that classic is timeless? Or perhaps you are not aware of such a basic knowledge?”

“Tch…excuses.”

“I’m merely stating a fact, you’re the one trying so hard to make up excuses that you dislike the present.”

“What I said is the truth. I don’t like it.”

She shot daggers at the alpha as she crossed her arms. She was adamant that she disliked the gift, yet she had no intention of taking it off this entire time.

“Regardless of whether you like it or not, it suits you very much.”

“…I’m tired now. Since you’re not going to shut up any time soon, then I’m going to leave first.”

Ophelia avoided her compliment and headed straight to her door. The young Albrecht exhaled with the corner of her lips lifted, she could be a little bit honest with her but that was good enough.

“By the way, before you go…”

“Ugh! What now??”

“I just want to say happy birthday to you, Ophelia. I wish you all the happiness and fortune coming your way.”

Perhaps it would be better if she didn’t turn around to face her. Stella genuinely wished that Ophelia could find real happiness at the end of all this. It may take quite a long while before that time comes, but she was willing to see this through until the end. That perhaps was the least she could do to repay for everything Ophelia had done for her in her past life. The pink-haired noble froze on the spot for a couple of seconds before she entered her bedroom, leaving Stella behind and alone in the hallway.

“Well…I guess that’s good enough.”

-

The alpha returned to her bedroom and let out a long exhale. It was indeed a long day. After she took a hot shower, she walked over to her study table where she stared at the shattered lavender crystals on a handkerchief. After arguing with the stubborn omega for several minutes, she successfully took these crushed crystals from her.

She had a personal reason why she wouldn’t want Ophelia to keep them—at all costs.

When the young future duchess stared at the crystals, old memories began to resurface, the image of that star-shaped necklace Ophelia wore when she found her lifeless body in the woods became clearer…and the alpha wanted to avoid that. Even though it was a small little change, she wanted to give the omega a completely different gift.

Stella had accomplished what she wanted today—history didn’t repeat itself.

She changed the ending, took the broken crystals away to prevent Ophelia from turning these into the bad omen necklace, and presented a new birthday gift for her. Feeling a huge sense of relief in her chest, the exhaustion started to take over her mind and body.

“I’ll find the way to dispose of this for good later, but for now…I need a good rest.”

It was indeed a long day for her, and it was about time for Stella to call it a day.

-

 “…I will take my leave, Lady Ophelia. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, Emily.”

The young maid bowed before she left her lady’s bedroom. This was the time for the pink-haired omega to have some time alone while fiddling with the white gold bracelet on her wrist. Within this quiet night, she could hear her sigh and heart beating against her chest. She did her very best to stay composed and hide her fluster. She was out of words to describe this moment while her eyes were fixed on this beautiful gift.  

Unlike what other Chevaliers generally wore, Ophelia preferred a simple yet sophisticated design. How coincidental that the design of the bracelet matched her preference perfectly?

Nevertheless, she was undeniably overjoyed with this sweet coincidence. Ophelia sat on her bed while gently rubbing the star pendant between her fingertips before the corners of her lips lifted. She had to be careful not to become attached to the future duchess as she was more than aware that there would be no happy ending for her on the alpha’s side.

Earlier, she didn’t lie when she said that she disliked the gift—because she loved it very much.

Despite she was playing with this irresistible fire, just for a short while, she wanted to live in this sweet beautiful dream with Stella as long as possible…