Snakes Over Wolves

The next day, I went to the jewelry store to pick a return gift for Ebony's bracelet.

I remembered that Ebony's beast form was a black snake with green pupils, so I picked a pair of snake-shaped cufflinks with emerald eyes.

Even now, I thought to myself that since the Serpentskins had money and influence in space, what was there to be upset about?

After I had paid and started to leave, I heard someone exclaiming in exaggerated surprise, "See, Sirius? Winnie's such a tsundere—she had refused your slave mark just yesterday, and now, she's buying you such an expensive present. I really lack her cunningness…"

I turned to see Lola snuggling in Sirius's arms, while he was grinning gleefully at me. "And here I thought you were a strong, independent woman! But you'll really do anything so that you don't have to marry a rogue, will you?"

That was when I remembered that it was Sirius's birthday, and they presumed I was buying a gift for Sirius.

He snorted in disdain when he saw the cufflinks I was holding. "Anyway, those are hideous, and I don't like them. Get me a pair of wolven ones instead!"

I frowned as I corrected him, "These are for my fiance, not you."

Sirius laughed coolly as if I had just told him a joke. "Quit being so pigheaded already—you're almost twenty-five! Who would willingly marry an old hag like you?! So stop playing hard to get, or I won't mark you as my slave."

That was when Lola's eyes twinkled as she turned to the store next door, pointing and exclaiming, "Look, Sirius! You can brand her at the slavers' hub. I really can't bear seeing her constantly worrying about her future, so let's just do her a favor and mark her now."

"Oh, Lola… you're too kind for your own good." Sirius sighed, tapping the tip of Lola's nose before wheeling on me haughtily and snapping, "Well? Get moving!"

He even leered at me as if he were bestowing me a great gift and left before I could say a word.

Right in the middle was a huge fire pot filled with burning coals and rows of branding irons with the worst profanities described.

That was when we saw a slaver was pressed down with a red-hot branding iron on his back. Even the strongest beastfolk would scream shrilly because of the pain despite his sheer muscular bulk.

Even Sirius cringed, but he said nothing as Lola told a bodyguard to drag me inside.

At that moment, I realized that the same Sirius, who had doted on me and protected me from any harm, was nothing more than an illusion.

As for Lola, she was grinning at me in malice while clinging to me with a vice-like grip, her usually delicate mannerisms suddenly vaporized. "It's alright, Winnie—I'll get you something real nice!"

She looked around the hub and found one with the word 'whore' on it.

Giggling, she picked it up as she hopped toward me, exclaiming, "This one suits you best, Winnie!"

That was when I struggled to get rid of the bodyguard's hand, but even before I could touch Lola, she fell backward, as if I had pushed her.

She dropped the branding iron. A spark brushed against her hand but didn't even leave a mark.

However, Lola quickly covered the back of her hand, her tears instantly overflowing as she wailed, "You didn't want to marry a rogue, and I'm just trying to help you, Winnie! But you burned me instead!"

Even before I could react, Sirius rushed toward her, knocking me toward the fire pot.

I lost my balance, and my palms pressed over a chunk of coal.

The agony struck instantly, as the scalding sensation on my palm engulfed me from head to toe, and I couldn't even breathe.

Smack!

But as I lifted my hands, Sirius slapped me viciously across the face!

Glaring at me in disgust, he bellowed, "You're such a vile woman! Lola kept vouching for you, but you'd do this to her?! Apologize to Lola right now!"