Choosing Merman Over Dragon

In my previous life, my sister set her sights on the formidable river dragon and married him without hesitation.

I chose the unassuming merman.

She thought she would ascend as the queen of the dragon clan. However, when the river dragon failed his ascension trial, my sister, as his mate, was caught in the fallout and narrowly escaped death.

Meanwhile, the merman unexpectedly inherited the Sea God’s Legacy and rose to become ocean royalty. Everyone knew I was to become the empress.

At the celebratory banquet, my sister poisoned my wine.

Reborn into a new life, my sister rushed toward the merman and chose him, saying, “The empress’ throne will be mine!”

Little did she know that the merfolk’s true nature was cruel, finding pleasure in tormenting others.

The Cohen family was a noble house of the human race. To preserve our standing among humans and to secure even a trace of the dragon aura, the Cohens had always maintained a marriage alliance with the dragon clan.

In my previous life, on the day my elder sister, Rhea Cohen, and I were to choose our husbands, the merfolk suddenly arrived with a token of betrothal, seeking my sister’s hand in marriage.

Rhea, however, fell in love at first sight with a handsome and formidable river dragon, Ariz Nithe. She cried and made a scene, insisting on marrying him. Father had no choice but to marry me off to the merman, Loire Hurley.

However, Ariz failed his ascension trial, and as his bonded mate, my sister was dragged into the fallout and nearly lost her life. Only my father’s timely intervention saved her.

Even so, Rhea was left crippled.

Meanwhile, the merman I married unexpectedly inherited the Sea God’s Legacy and rose to become part of the ocean’s royalty.

Consumed by jealousy that I would be the future empress, my sister poisoned me.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn on the very day we were choosing our husbands.

…

Yet by the time I returned to this moment, Father had already promised me to Loire.

Gazing at the unassuming merman beside me, a pang of sorrow welled up. I never imagined that even in this second life, nothing seemed to have changed.

Just as despair closed in, Rhea suddenly declared, “I refuse to marry Ariz Nithe. I want to marry Loire Hurley.”

The hall erupted in shock. The man standing at her side had a dark expression on his face.

Seeing the excitement in her eyes, I knew she, too, had been reborn.

This time, relying on Father’s favor, she planned to snatch the marriage right from my grasp.

Father’s expression darkened at her words. “Rhea, marriage is no trivial matter.”

Rhea rushed over to Loire and shoved me aside. Caught off guard, I nearly fell, but a hand caught me.

I looked up to see Ariz.

Only then did my sister realize how improper she’d been.

She hurriedly said, “Father, as you said, marriage is no trivial matter. Loire originally asked for my hand. We cannot break our promise. Besides… my heart belongs to Loire.”

Her face flushed crimson as she spoke. Seeing her this way, Father sighed deeply and agreed.

I felt not a shred of surprise. As the only daughter of the first wife, who passed away after giving birth, Father had always favored Rhea.

Since childhood, she was always the one who got to choose first and even snatched up whatever remained.

As I coldly watched my biased father, warmth suddenly filled my palm.

It was Ariz holding my hand. Warmth shone in his eyes, thawing the chill in my heart that Father had caused.

Rhea looped her arms around the merman, looking at us triumphantly and with disdain.

As she passed, she whispered, “Anna Cohen, this time, you’ll die alongside the river dragon! The empress’ throne is mine.”

I lowered my head, hiding the smile in my eyes.

My foolish sister was spoiled beyond measure and ignorant of her fate.

Merfolk were innately cruel, delighting in torment. In my past life, he tortured me until not a single inch of my body remained untouched!

Moreover, Rhea’s last-minute change of grooms would surely earn the grudge of this petty-minded merman.