On Ophelia’s birthday, Stella had almost forgotten how hectic and exhausting it was…
It was Chevalier’s tradition to host an extravagant celebration for the entire day. During the day, Ophelia’s guests and acquaintances would attend the birthday party, and Stella expected a long guest list from Chevalier's eldest daughter. In the evening, there would be a special family banquet, which was the main highlight of the day. This meant that Stella would be accompanying her fiancée 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 breathe. She took a glass of fruit juice before finding a spot in the garden to loosen up while being accompanied by Matteo, 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.” Matteo said, opening his handkerchief. “These shortbread cookies are the best ones in my opinion.”
“You’re the best, Matteo…” Stella sighed, sinking into her seat. “I’m too busy to even eat anything properly.”
Stella couldn’t eat and drink comfortably since morning because her fiancée dragged her around to greet every guest while flaunting their happy engagement. As she took the first bite, it was as Matteo said, these cookies were lovely, and she savored their delicate taste to her heart’s content, followed by a gulp of fresh apple juice.
“You looked amazing at the party.” Matteo smiled, complimenting her. “I wish I could be like you.”
The young man admired how composed and dignified Stella was as she walked around conversing with all the guests so naturally by Ophelia’s side. Unlike him, Stella was more of an alpha than he could ever become, and sometimes Matteo felt as though he was born with the wrong secondary gender. In the eyes of his family, he was a total failure as a Chevalier, as an alpha.
“It would be nice if I could be half of what you are.” Matteo sighed quietly. “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,” Stella said. Her voice remained calm and gentle. “You are very smart and observant in your way. I even admire those qualities in you.”
“I know you’re trying to cheer me up,” Matteo chuckled, his smile carrying a hint of bitterness. “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 may not know him personally enough 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. She owed him for guiding her to the truth and giving 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 knights witnessed. The old scar ached when she remembered seeing his lifeless body lying in the pool of his blood. The alpha blinked, and her mind returned to the present before directing her attention to Matteo.
“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?” Stella continued. “But at least we can choose what kind of person we want to become.”
“…” Matteo’s eyes widened slightly, as though Stella’s words had touched something in his heart.
“What kind of person would you like to become?” Stella asked.
That question sparked something like a flame inside the young boy's heart. It didn't take long before Stella could see the spark of his perseverance in those glistening green eyes. He was a sharp-witted young man, after all. He hardly needed any guidance to find the answer he already held close to his heart.
“I want to be stronger and reliable so I can protect my sister.” Matteo said. “She always protected me this whole time until now, and I don’t want to keep hiding behind her back.”
“Then just focus on making that happen,” Stella said, smiling.
The Albrecht alpha 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 having a 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,” Mabel said, her eyes fixed on them.
Stella 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,” Stella sighed. “Sadly, I don’t have enough energy to stroke your poor ego today.”
Perhaps it was her nonchalance that made the remark hit them harder than usual. Matteo could see his cousins' faces turning red, fuming. Even though they wished to fight back, something deep inside warned them not to challenge the Albrecht alpha. Stella's cold, icy blue eyes, together with the fearless pheromones permeating the air, sent fear down their spines. The young Chevalier boys, Caleb included, were undoubtedly threatened by her dominating presence. Mabel alone was the exception.
Perhaps it was her omega instinct that drew her to a strong alpha, despite how badly their previous interaction had gone. She seemed almost drawn to Stella's repulsiveness. As she intentionally provoked Caleb and the others, he was about to challenge her to a fight until Mabel stopped him.
“Just stop, Caleb.” Mabel sighed, crossing her arms. “The more you try, the more pathetic you’ll be.”
“Huh? What are you saying, Mabel?” He turned to his older cousin. “Are you implying that I’m weaker than her?”
“No offense to you,” Mabel said. “Even if I may dislike her attitude, you couldn’t even compare to half of her charisma as an alpha.”
What was about to happen was something that no one, especially Stella, expected to hear. Intentional or not, complimenting Stella could only stoke the tension between her and the others. No alpha wanted to be compared to another alpha. No matter how hard Stella tried to keep Mabel at arm’s length, the witch kept inserting herself.
As expected, Caleb didn’t take it well, especially when his own older sister heartlessly compared him to Stella. Matteo stepped in to ease the situation, but it was futile. The young, enraged male alpha challenged Stella to a duel to see who was stronger, but she refused to play with his or Mabel’s game. Anger clouded his reason, and he reached out to grab her, but Stella swiftly brushed his hand away. She rose to her feet and gave him a warning shove to the chest, sending him down on his backside.
“…That’s your last warning.” Stella’s voice dropped to glacial temperature. “You do not want to humiliate yourself further than this.”
“You bastard—!!” He rose again, and his hands tightened into a fist.
“What are you fools doing with my fiancée?” Just before the situation could’ve escalated, Ophelia’s voice abruptly ended the tension between them.
The birthday woman glared and marched toward them, demanding an explanation. It was clear to her that her foolish cousins had been trying to harm Stella and Matteo. Her icy green eyes sent chills down their backs. Caleb and the others dared not answer, all except her shameless cousin.
“It is nothing for you to be concerned about, Ophelia,” Mabel said, shrugging nonchalantly. “You know how the alphas have their little moments to settle who is the superior one, right?”
Ophelia gave her nothing but the silent treatment. One could tell that she was not pleased with what she saw, especially on her birthday, before shooting daggers at them with utter discontent.
“Allow me to kindly remind all of you how much I despise anyone who tries to touch what is mine,” Ophelia said, glaring at Mabel before her eyes turned to Caleb. “Did I make myself clear?”
“…Yes, ma’am,” Caleb muttered, unable to meet her eyes. “My apologies.”
That was a warning to Mabel, telling her to keep her hands away from Stella.
“You two, come with me,” Ophelia said before she turned away. “We must get ready for the banquet later in the evening.”
The three of them departed from the garden, and Stella glanced over her shoulder for a quick peek. Then she saw the real Mabel. Those eyes were filled with resentment towards Ophelia, and she made no effort to hide it. Clearly, she harbored those feelings for years.
Walking through the corridor of the manor, Ophelia turned to her fiancée and ordered her to stay away from Mabel. She didn’t hesitate to use such ignoble, vulgar language to address her blood-related cousin, emphasizing how much Ophelia despised Mabel.
"If I see you interacting with that shameless fox again, I'll make sure you know your place," Ophelia said, her tone edged with menace. "Do you understand?"
It wasn't a warning; it was a threat. It was clear as day how much they despised each other. Still, Stella had no intention of standing quietly by while Ophelia bore down on her.
"It's not like I want to interact with her." Stella countered. "She's given off nasty vibes since our first encounter in the hallway. But isn't it a bit unreasonable to punish me when she's the one who walked up to me?"
“Since you’re so wise, then why don’t you make use of that good brain of yours and figure something out?” Ophelia shot back. “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, too stunned to say a word. He felt Ophelia was being unreasonably harsh with Stella, but then he couldn’t bring himself to speak, not when he had noticed how strangely irritated his sister was. All he could do was glance nervously back and forth between them.
“…I believe we should discuss this another day,” Stella said, exhaling softly. “Today is your special day.”
Stella had gotten the message: Ophelia wanted to keep her away from her wicked cousin. She didn't blame her for that, since Stella was more than aware of how spiteful Mabel could be. Negotiation between them had never been an option to begin with, so she tried steering the conversation elsewhere instead.
“Then do your job better as my fiancée figure.” Ophelia said. “Did I not tell you to stay next to me the entire time?”
“You’re right, that’s my fault on that part.” Stella said. Her tone remained calm and steady. “It won’t happen again.”
Stella 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.
In the early evening, they changed into outfits suitable for Chevalier’s dinner banquet. Stella wore a suit tailored to match her fiancée’s. Surprisingly, it fit comfortably as she checked herself in the mirror. It was a classic suit with custom crimson lining, the signature color of the family’s emblem, designed to match the gold and crimson dress Ophelia would be wearing. It was just as Stella remembered from her previous life. Unsurprisingly, it was common for the lover, or fiancée in this case, to wear a matching outfit to a party.
Still, she didn’t forget to pick up two birthday gifts from her room. Despite knowing what was soon to happen, she couldn’t help feeling anxious.
“…There’s no turning back,” Stella muttered quietly to herself. “It’s time to get moving.”
Stella went to meet Matteo and Ophelia, who were waiting for her in front of the dressing room. The birthday lady turned around to scold her fiancée for wasting her time since they should be arriving at the family’s banquet hall by now.
“You’re late.” Ophelia glared at her. “How dare you keep me waiting for you?”
“I didn’t take that long, though.” Stella shrugged. “You’re exaggerating.”
“I have the right to complain here.” Ophelia shot back.
“Yes, ma’am,” Stella said, smiling softly. “If you say so.”
Stella remained unfazed as she walked beside Ophelia. Before they entered, the alpha extended her hand out for her fiancée to hold onto before she led her through the door.
“Let’s go inside together, Ophelia.” A soft smile touched Stella’s lips.
Now that the omega had a longer look at her fiancée, she was grateful she picked the right design to complement 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 letting Stella escort her.
As they entered, all eyes were set on them.
They were the stars of this banquet after all. The oldest daughter of Marquis Chevalier and her Albrecht fiancée.
Several of them had only heard rumors that Ophelia was engaged to the youngest Albrecht, and this was the first time they had seen Stella standing beside her. She was gallant, with a quiet confidence, and carried herself with the same bearing as the former duke. As the night went on, everything unfolded just as Stella remembered it, down to the smallest detail. Many Chevalier relatives came up to congratulate Ophelia, bearing extravagant birthday gifts. The banquet went smoothly, and Stella simply waited for the signal that would begin the real show. Time ticked away, minute by minute.
“Don’t mind me being curious here…” one of Ophelia’s cousins asked. “What did your fiancée get for you?”
Here it was. This was the signal Stella had been waiting to hear all night. Without looking up, she could feel all eyes turn toward her. It was exactly how it had gone before, and the moment called on her to embrace her role.
“That’s true,” another cousin chimed in. “I’m curious as well about what you have for me, Stella.”
Stella turned to face Ophelia, knowing this was her cue to follow the original plotline. She carefully drew the fake present from her pocket and handed it to her fiancée with a smile.
"I had hoped to give this to you in private." Stella held out a gift box. "But since it's been brought up, I suppose there's no harm in presenting it here."
Those were the exact words she had once said. She was sticking to her role and her script, to prevent any major deviation from the timeline. Stella quietly watched the omega unwrap the present as the others looked on, her heart pounding with nerves. The moment Ophelia opened the box and revealed the lavender-colored crystal bracelet, Stella studied their faces closely and saw how disappointed they were. They had clearly expected an extravagant gift from the alpha, not a simple crystal bracelet like this.
“Just a bracelet for a birthday gift?” another cousin whispered to another. “That’s rather disappointing…”
“Even worse, those crystals look so horrible and cheap…”
These girls made no attempt to hide their opinions, and Stella could hear every word, crystal clear. They wanted Ophelia to know how disappointing the first birthday gift from her fiancée was, far too pathetic for any Chevalier to hold. To receive such a lame present was more a humiliation and an embarrassment than anything else.
Right now, Stella was far more anxious about Ophelia's reaction. While the others had plenty to say about the bracelet, the woman remained silent, an indescribable expression on her face. It didn't take long before she threw the entire box to the ground at her feet. Read this novel at novelping . com for the best experience.
“You dare to call this a present?” Ophelia’s voice cut through the banquet hall. “Do you think someone like me, the daughter of the Marquis, would consider wearing this meager thing?”
Same script. Same reaction. But something had changed. The merciless omega raised her foot and crushed the bracelet without hesitation. Stella flinched, caught slightly off guard, and her gaze dropped to the floor. The attendees in the banquet hall turned their attention to them at once. Even though she knew what was about to happen, Stella hadn't prepared herself for it to differ from her past life. She remembered vividly that the omega had only thrown the bracelet to the ground. She hadn't stepped on it.
“…!”
Stella slowly looked up to meet Ophelia’s gaze before something inside her chest twisted. Those coldhearted green eyes sent chills down her back. It was as though she was looking at a different Ophelia. If it wasn’t for her memories of the future, she would be fully convinced by her flawless act.
The main event didn’t change, but Ophelia’s attitude and actions had 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?” one of the ladies beside Ophelia commented. “I’ve never seen that kind of thing before in my life!”
“I know, right?” The second cousin shot a condescending look at Stella. “How could she present such a cheap toy to our Ophelia?”
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 heart ache. 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 had Ophelia shouldered, just to become the center of Stella's resentment for all those years?
Recalling 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. Somehow the pain she carried in her chest was more than she experienced in her previous life. Stella was more worried about Ophelia than herself. She was certain that Ophelia had felt the same pain, perhaps even far worse than her own.
“Reuben, throw away this trash for me and make sure no one sees it.” Ophelia carried the senior butler. “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. The spotlight then turned to Stella, the daughter of the former duke. Nevertheless, this was her cue to apologize and take her leave. Stella bowed, acting as sincerely as possible to convince others how pitiful and naïve she was.
"I'll take my leave before my presence only makes you recall this unpleasant moment further." Stella lowered her head. "My sincerest apologies for ruining your special day like this."
Stella strode towards the exit without making eye contact with anyone. She could feel all eyes were staring down at her contemptuously, but that didn’t bother her. Stepping outside for fresh air, Stella found a quiet corner to plan her next course of action. She let out a quick sigh of relief now that the climax of the event had gone by as smoothly as planned.
However, the discomfort still lingered in her chest.
When she planned to find somewhere quiet to hide and wait from afar until the banquet was over, a young man rushed after her with worries written all over his face. Matteo left the banquet hall to find Stella after he witnessed the commotion earlier.
“Stella!” Matteo came to her side. “Thank goodness you haven’t left yet…”
“The birthday banquet is not over yet, Matteo.” Stella said, resting her hands on her waist. “You shouldn’t be looking for me after I caused such a commotion earlier.”
“It is because I was worried about you…” He muttered softly.
That was quite refreshing to have someone genuinely concerned about her, 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.” Stella chuckled. “None of this bothered me.”
“Really?” Matteo asked. “Are you sure? You’re not mad at Ophelia?”
“I’m not. You should go back inside before someone questions your disappearance.” Stella said, giving him a gentle nudge. “It will be bad if anyone sees you with me.”
Matteo nodded, but seemed hesitant to leave. It was as if he wanted to say something to her, but in the end, he didn’t. 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 Ophelia in private, but what would Stella say to her?
Now that she thought about it, wouldn’t it be quite awkward to initiate a conversation with her as if nothing happened earlier?
“…Never mind,” Stella sighed softly. “I’ll figure something out when I have a chance to speak with her in private.”
She waited patiently for the grandiose birthday banquet to end. Her eyes stayed fixed on the main entrance, waiting for that familiar pink-haired omega to step out, but then there was no sign of her at all.
Could she perhaps have left through another exit?
Now that she thought about it, Stella recalled there was another exit with a path leading directly to the main manor they resided in. She followed her gut feeling, and her senses were spot on. Even though she didn’t find her fiancée, she found Emily walking back to the residential manor by herself, which was quite odd to find her alone like this.
She appeared to be in a hurry to go somewhere, and so the alpha followed her closely and quietly. The paranoid handmaiden constantly checked her surroundings, left and right, afraid that someone would follow her. Stella followed her closely until they arrived at the entrance to the library on the 2nd floor. She took one glance around again, still paranoid. Just before Emily could slip into the library, Stella seized this chance to step out from hiding and grab her arm.
“—!!!” Emily had the shock of her life, and Stella swiftly covered her mouth before a shriek could escape from her lips. “Mmmgh—”
“Shh…It’s just me, Emily.” Stella said, trying to calm her down.
The alpha rested her finger against her lips, signaling the maid to stay quiet. Once Emily blinked, taking a good look at her, 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…” Emily panted, feeling her heart was about to burst through her chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack…”
“I didn’t mean to surprise you like that.” Stella chuckled. “Anyway, do you know where Ophelia is?”
“Huh? Uhm…I-I don’t know.” Emily stuttered, shaking her head. “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?” Stella asked, confirming her deduction.
“U-Uh…”
“If you’re worried about what happened earlier, I’m not mad at her,” Stella said, smiling at her. “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. Her plan was still to make Stella hate her. Therefore, she took drastic measures to hurt her. But Stella had no intention of things going the way that Ophelia wanted, not this time.
“…I won’t let things go the way she wanted,” Stella said. Her tone was soft yet carried immovable resolve. “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 couldn’t belong to someone who harbored resentment toward her lady. She finally gave in and confirmed with the alpha that Ophelia was indeed here. The omega 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…” Emily turned to the alpha. Her tone carried a hint of desperation. “Could you please not hate Lady Ophelia?”
“Is that even a question?” Stella chuckled softly. “You can rest assured. I don’t think I can ever hate her.”
…At the very least, not anymore. Stella finished her sentence quietly to herself.
Stella was no longer able to hate Ophelia like she used to. What kind of feelings did she have for her? Perhaps guilt, sympathy, and a 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 handmaiden. Perhaps it was a secret code known between them so that Ophelia would know it was her.
“The door is not locked,” Ophelia’s voice came from inside. “Come in.”
Emily silently turned to the young alpha before giving a hand gesture for Stella to enter. She didn’t forget to thank her before she turned the doorknob. With just a glance, her eyes went straight to the woman sitting at her study table. She was so focused on what was in front of her that she didn't notice her presence.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” Stella said, walking towards her. “Sneaky.”
“—!?”
Just hearing her voice instantly grabbed her attention. Ophelia darted a dumbfounded glance and realized it wasn’t Emily. It was her fiancée. At first, she was hallucinating, but the gentle fragrance of the smoked pinewood snapped her back to reality. She was too stunned to even formulate a response.
“Y-You—!” Ophelia was about to say something before pain shot through her finger. “A-Ah—”
Out of surprise, her fingers tensed up, and she accidentally held the crystal shards between her fingers a little bit too hard. The instant the young alpha saw blood oozing from her finger, she rushed over to her side.
“Let me see.” Stella’s voice became stern as she reached out to hold her hand, but Ophelia pulled it away. “Don’t be stubborn. Let me check your injury.”
“Get out.” Ophelia glared at her. “Who permitted you to enter my room so casually—”
“This is not the time for that,” Stella said, reaching out to hold Ophelia’s wrist. “Stay still, I’m 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.
When Stella’s eyes glanced at the tray of shattered lavender crystals, 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 only amplified the pain in her heart.
“Those things are sharp,” Stella’s tone softened as she exhaled. “Good thing that it is not a deep cut. Does it still hurt?”
“I-I’m fine…” Ophelia wanted to pull her hand back, but Stella’s grip remained firm around her wrist.
Under ordinary circumstances, Ophelia would’ve just shoved Stella away and chased her out of the room…but seeing how concerned she was over such a small cut like this made her heart throb fast. She held her finger firmly to apply enough pressure to stop the bleeding, yet gently at the same time, ensuring that she wouldn’t hurt her. Once the bleeding stopped, a smile of relief touched her lips before pushing the tray of broken crystals away from her.
“You shouldn’t touch them anymore,” Stella said, turning to her. “Or else you’ll get a cut again.”
“Whose fault is that then?” Ophelia sighed loudly. “Get out of my sight.”
She tried to chase Stella away, but it was futile. Stella had no intention of letting go of her hand. She wouldn’t let Ophelia get away that easily.
“Whose fault is it then that mercilessly crushed the birthday gift that I gave you?”
Bull’s eye. That made Ophelia’s shoulder lift slightly. Ophelia pressed her lips together and had no words to say now that the alpha saw the shattered bracelet on the silver tray. Stella noticed clearly how conflicted she was. The omega planned to create a permanent rift between them after all, but now that the stubborn alpha had uncovered her secret.
“I don’t think there is anything you could do with it. Just leave it be.” Stella glanced at the tray before returning her gaze to Ophelia. “The crystals were too shattered for anything to be done.”
“B-But—” Words slipped out from Ophelia’s lips before she could stop herself.
Stella realized she shouldn't push the omega too hard. Her main goal was to change the future, but if she was too assertive, she might accidentally reveal too much about what was to come and shift the timeline entirely.
“…I knew it. No wonder you’re acting so strangely today,” Stella murmured.
“What?”
“I’m not that oblivious as to not notice these things.” Stella continued, meeting her gaze directly. “I could feel that you’ve been trying to make me hate you this entire time, including what you’ve done today.” The source of this chapter is novelping(.)com.
“…”
As Ophelia once deceived her with her villainous act, then she shall make her taste her own medicine. As the Duchess of Northland in her previous life, she was quite confident in masking her emotions and used her words well to deceive Ophelia too. No matter how cunning she may be, Stella was still mentally older.
“You always treated me cruelly before others,” Stella said. “But that wasn’t the case when it was between us, Matteo, and Emily.”
“…” Ophelia chose silence, refusing to say anything.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve,” Stella sighed quietly. “Even if I were to ask for your reason, I doubt you would tell me anyway.”
“…” Her silence was an answer.
The stubborn omega averted her gaze, unable to refute what Stella had said. The alpha had said more than enough and decided to pull back so that she wasn’t pushing Ophelia too much.
“I won’t ask why until you’re ready to tell me yourself.” Stella continued. “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. Stella wasn’t just referring to the present Ophelia, but also the future Ophelia written in the diary. Maybe this was the right timing. Stella drew a small box from her hidden pocket and placed it into her hand.
“You call this gut feeling. I felt that I should prepare two birthday presents instead in case anything happens—like today.”
Ophelia stayed at the box before making eye contact with Stella again. She was taken aback by how observant her fiancée was. Admittedly, she had underestimated Stella. Now that her attention returned to the present in her hand. It was a box wrapped neatly in gold wrap with a small bow attached to the top right-hand corner.
“What is this?” Ophelia finally spoke after the long silence she gave.
“I guess you can say it’s your real birthday gift.” A soft smile touched Stella’s lips. “I wish to give this to you in person rather than in front of others.”
Ophelia was visibly conflicted about whether to open it, but seeing how Stella insisted, she reluctantly unwrapped it. The second she opened the box and saw what was inside, she froze, eyes widened, completely speechless. One glance was enough to tell her the quality of the gold and amethyst. She gently touched the gold bracelet with her fingertips, mesmerized by its intricate design, which suited her taste in jewelry perfectly.
"It's not as extravagant as the other gifts you received today." Stella chuckled softly. "But it has a timeless touch. It should go well with most of the dresses you wear."
“…”
Ophelia became oddly quiet before Stella noticed something was quite unusual in her expression...
The woman was dumbfounded, mouth agape, blushing so terribly that even her ears were visibly red. Her stoic persona was thrown out the window, and she looked like a teenager who had just had the greatest shock of her life. Stella was confused. Her reaction was far beyond what she had expected. Eventually, Ophelia glared at her in disbelief. She was too speechless to gather her thoughts and had no idea where to begin. She had to clear her throat a couple of times before she could speak.
"I didn't take you for being this bold..." Ophelia grumbled, staring at Stella through narrowed eyes.
“H-Huh?” Stella was confused. “What do you mean…?”
“There is no way you don’t know what you’ve done!” Ophelia’s voice rose in pitch. “Look at what you’ve given me!”
The alpha stood dumbfounded until she took a quick look at the bracelet, and that was when she noticed the little mistake she had made. The handcrafted charm she had chosen without much thought turned out to be star-shaped, which was perhaps worse than giving Ophelia a heart-shaped one.
When someone wanted to express their affection, it was common to gift jewelry with heart shapes or patterns. It was considered an indirect way of giving someone a love letter, a cute tradition among young lovers these days. Stella was more than aware of this tradition, which was exactly why she had avoided the heart-shaped charm in the first place.
“W-Wait!” Stella stuttered, blushing up to her ears. “That w-wasn’t my intention, I-I swear—!”
Even someone like Stella lost her composure. Her face flushed with embarrassment and realization. She tried to explain herself, but it sounded more like an excuse. If anyone else had gifted Ophelia a star, it would simply have been a cute, ordinary charm.
Another intimate way to express one’s affection was to present a gift, symbolic of their name of their fragrance.
“You idiot,” Ophelia scolded Stella harshly. Her heart was pounding strongly against her ribcage, as though it was about to burst. “How careless could you be to gift a lady something like this?”
This felt more like torture. It wasn’t easy for Ophelia to remain composed when her crush gave her something this intimate. The best she could do to mask her embarrassment was to punch this clumsy alpha on the shoulder.
“O-Ow.” Stella rubbed her shoulder, completely confused. “W-What was that for?”
“You deserved that,” Ophelia muttered softly.
Both stood there, awkwardly, as heat bloomed across their face and cheeks. After a long moment, Ophelia let out a long exhale before reluctantly forcing the present back into Stella’s hand. 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.” Ophelia sighed. “I will be nice to you and pretend that none of this ever happened.”
“…” Stella pressed her lips together before she let out a quiet sigh.
The moment the alpha took the bracelet from her hand, her heart suddenly felt cold and empty. Even though Ophelia insisted, she couldn’t deny a part of her wanted to keep it. Accidental or not, she wanted to own something Stella gave her. 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?” Ophelia’s eyes widened, feeling this cold metallic object around her wrist.
“There you go.” Stella’s smile widened into a cheeky one. “I knew it would suit you well.”
By this point, Ophelia should have expected that Stella was just as stubborn as she was, or even more so. Stella took the bracelet and fastened it around her wrist without asking permission. It fit perfectly, neither too big nor too small.
“I’m not going to take it back. This is custom-made specifically for you,” Stella pointed to the purple gem on the bracelet. “I chose amethyst so it matches your pheromones and… ahem, even though the star-shaped charm was accidental, this is still meant to be yours.”
Stella cleared her throat, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness as she did her best to convince Ophelia to accept the present. The design was simple and elegant, exactly the way she liked it, and she couldn't deny that the lavender amethyst made her heart skip. Stella had chosen the gem to match her pheromones. How thoughtful. Her heart throbbed with overwhelming joy, and she finally realized that Stella's natural charisma might be unhealthy for her in the long run.
“…Fine.” Ophelia sighed, finally giving in. “I’ll keep it as you insisted.”
“Really?” Stella’s smile lit up. Relief was clearly written all over her face. “Phew, that’s more like it.”
The longer the conversation went on, the harder it became for her to stay composed. Seeing how they were interacting now, the incident at the banquet felt as though it had never happened. Ophelia couldn't fully comprehend how Stella could forgive her so easily after being humiliated in front of everyone. Any ordinary alpha would have taken offense and been unable to bounce back so quickly.
Stella was different. She had no interest in how others perceived her. She didn’t need their validation to be herself.
Emily waited for her lady outside her bedchamber until she caught a glimpse of two figures walking down the corridor. The moment she saw them chatting lightly, a huge wave of relief washed over her. It was the best possible outcome, the one she had secretly hoped for. In all her years as Ophelia's handmaiden, the only time she had seen her lady smile was when she was by Stella's side.
“I don’t know how you Chevaliers keep up with these extravagant banquets,” Stella sighed, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m exhausted just being an attendee.”
“…Sometimes I questioned if you were even a noble, judging from your attitude.” Ophelia looked at her fiancée from the corner of her eye.
Sometimes Ophelia questioned if Stella came from the Albrecht family, given her nonchalance. No sane noble would tolerate such defamation, but Stella had just as much of a sharp tongue as she did.
"That's what you call a 'down-to-earth' personality, in case you don't know what that means," Stella said, crossing her arms. "Members of House Chevalier could hardly understand it. You have a twisted idea that nobility means spending astronomical sums of gold on selfish and unnecessary things."
Emily blinked a few times. She wasn’t expecting to hear the two nobles exchanging words with such sharp tongues, being brutally honest while neither felt offended. The maid noticed how Ophelia looked before the corner of her lips lifted.
“I can clearly see from your taste in choosing birthday gifts,” Ophelia said, continuing their little squabble even before her room. “Utterly simple and plain. Born a noble yet a cheap commoner’s taste.”
“You never heard that classic is timeless?” Stella chuckled. “Or perhaps you are not aware of such a basic knowledge?”
“Tch, excuses.” Ophelia shot back.
“I’m merely stating a fact,” Stella smirked, crossing her arms. “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.” Ophelia said, still refusing to acknowledge the truth. This woman was adamant that she disliked the gift, yet she had no intention of taking it off this entire time.
“So stubborn, aren’t you?” Stella said. “Whether you like it or not, it suits you very much.”
“I’m tired now.” Ophelia turned to her door. “Since you’re not going to shut up any time soon, then I’m going to leave first.”
Stella almost laughed at how adorable this woman could be when she was being bashful. She wished Ophelia could be a little bit honest with her, but as for now, this was good enough.
“By the way, before you go…” Stella said, dragging out their conversation.
“Ugh, what now?” Ophelia exhaled sharply without looking back.
“I just want to say happy birthday to you, Ophelia.” Stella smiled. “I wish you all the happiness and blessings 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 might take a very long while before that day came, but she was willing to see it through to the end. It was the least she could do to repay everything Ophelia had done for her in her past life. The woman froze on the spot for a couple of seconds, then entered her bedroom without a word, leaving Stella alone in the hallway.
“Well…I guess that’s good enough.” Stella muttered, scratching her head.
Stella returned to her bedroom and let out a long exhale. It was a long, grueling day. After a long, hot shower, she approached her study table where she stared at the shattered lavender crystals in the handkerchief. After arguing with the stubborn omega for several minutes, she successfully confiscated these crushed crystals from her.
She simply didn’t want Ophelia to keep them. It was a bad omen.
These crystals reminded her of the star-shaped necklace Ophelia wore when Stella found her listless body in the woods…the ending that she planned to avoid at all costs. Even though it was a small change, she wanted to make sure Ophelia had something else entirely different.
Stella had accomplished what she wanted today. History didn’t repeat itself.
She changed the ending and made sure Ophelia didn’t have the chance to make that bad omen necklace. As Stella felt a huge wave of relief washing over her, the exhaustion started to take over her body.
“I’ll find the way to dispose of this for good later,” Stella muttered softly. “But for now, I need a good rest.”
“…I will take my leave, my lady.” Emily bowed.
“Good night, Emily.”
The young maid lowered her head and left Ophelia’s room. At last, Ophelia had some time alone, fiddling with the white gold bracelet. In the quiet of the night, she could feel her heart beating, echoing in her ears. She did her very best to stay composed and hide her fluster. She had no words to describe this moment, her eyes fixed on the beautiful gift.
Unlike what most Chevaliers wore, Ophelia preferred a simple yet sophisticated design. How coincidental that the bracelet matched her preference so perfectly.
Still, she was undeniably overjoyed by this sweet coincidence. Ophelia sat on her bed, gently rubbing the star pendant between her fingertips, the corners of her lips lifting. She had to be careful not to grow attached to Stella, knowing that one day the alpha would leave her side.
She hadn't lied when she said she disliked the gift, because she loved it very much. Though she was playing with an irresistible fire, just for a moment she wanted to live in this sweet, beautiful dream with Stella for as long as possible...