Chapter 2

The day before the engagement ceremony, I met Ella in the castle garden.

She sat on a stone bench amidst a cluster of roses, holding a white rose in her hand, her expression melancholy. The setting sun cast golden rays upon her, making her look like a figure from an oil painting.

"What are you thinking about?" I sat down next to her.

"Tomorrow," she said softly, "tomorrow I will have to make a choice."

Are you scared?

"I'm scared." She nodded. "I'm scared of making the wrong choice, scared of regretting it, scared... of hurting people I shouldn't hurt."

Looking at the worry on her profile, a strong urge to protect her welled up inside me. "Ella, whatever you choose, I hope you can be happy."

She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with tears: "If I choose you, what can you give me?"

This question left me speechless. As a guard, what could I offer her? A simple room? A meager salary? Or a future where she would be the subject of gossip and judgment from her tribe?

"I can't give you much," I said honestly, "but everything I can give you is from the bottom of my heart."

"That's enough." Ella grasped my hand. "Sincerity is more precious than anything else."

But her hands were trembling, and I could feel her inner struggle.

The night of the full moon has finally arrived.

The castle's main hall was decorated solemnly and sacredly, with silvery moonlight streaming through stained-glass windows onto the stone floor. All the tribespeople were dressed in their finest attire, awaiting this sacred moment.

I stood in the corner of the hall, dressed in the uniform of an ordinary guard, watching Ella stand in the center. She was wearing a traditional white Luna dress, her hair tied up with a silver ribbon, and she was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Fellow tribesmen," the chieftain announced from the high platform, "tonight is a sacred night of the full moon, and our Lunaella will choose her betrothed. May the moon goddess bless her so that she may make the right choice."

Solemn applause filled the hall. My heart was pounding, and my palms were sweaty.

"Miss Ella," Aiden approached her, knelt on one knee, and took out a magnificent ring from his pocket, "Please accept my proposal. I swear to protect you with my life and to give you the best life possible with my position. You will become the wife of a lieutenant, with the respect and status you deserve."

The room fell silent, everyone waiting for Ella's answer.

Ella looked at me, her eyes full of expectation and inquiry. She was waiting for me, waiting for me to step forward, waiting for me to give her a reason to choose me.

I wanted to stand up, to tell everyone I loved her, and to compete fairly with Aiden. But the rules of the trial bound me like chains—I couldn't reveal my identity, and I couldn't do anything beyond my guard's authority.

Time passed second by second, and Ella's eyes changed from expectation to disappointment, and from disappointment to pain.

"Miss Ella?" Aiden urged, "Please give me an answer."

Just then, Aiden stood up, walked to Ella's side, and whispered a few words in her ear. I saw Ella's face turn pale instantly; she looked at Aiden in shock, then at me.

"Miss Ella, time is running out," the chieftain reminded her. "You must make a choice, either postpone it until the next full moon."

Ella looked at me deeply, her eyes filled with love, pain, and a desperate resolve.

"I..." her voice trembled, "I choose Aiden."

In that instant, I felt the whole world fall silent. Not because Alpha's dignity had been trampled on, but because the love I thought was unbreakable turned out to be so fragile.

A burst of enthusiastic applause and congratulations erupted in the hall, but to me it sounded like mockery. Aiden stood up triumphantly, placed the ring on Ella's finger, and wore a victorious smile.

"Thank you for the moon goddess's blessing," Aiden said loudly, "I will cherish Miss Ella."

Ella didn't speak; she just nodded mechanically, tears welling in her eyes. She looked at me again, her eyes filled with apology and pain, but I didn't want to look at her anymore.

After the ceremony, the crowd dispersed. I stood alone in a corner of the hall, watching Aiden and Ella surrounded by their tribespeople offering their congratulations. Aiden, beaming with pride, glanced at me every now and then, his eyes filled with provocation and smugness.

"Ian."

When no one was looking, Ella walked up to me, her voice trembling with tears.

"Congratulations, Miss Ella." My voice was as cold as ice. "You got what you wanted."

"You don't understand, Aiden told me..."

"Tell you what? Tell me I'm not good enough for you? Tell me there's no future with me?" I interrupted her. "He's right, isn't he?"

"No!" Ella grabbed my arm urgently. "He told me that if I chose you, the chieftain would banish you from the castle for being 'unsuitable'! He said a guard wasn't worthy to marry Luna, and choosing you would only harm you!"

I was stunned for a moment. So that's how Aiden convinced her.

"He added," Ella continued, sobbing, "that if I truly loved you, I should think about your future. Choosing him would allow you to continue working at the castle, and we could still see each other. But if I choose you, you'll lose everything and be looked down upon by everyone!"

Seeing her tears streaming down her face, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside me. Did she choose Aiden to protect me?

"So you chose him for my own good?"

"I don't know what to do!" Ella broke down in tears. "I love you, but I can't hurt you! I thought... I thought this would be best for everyone..."

"Good for everyone?" I sneered, "Including for yourself?"

"I don't care about myself! I only care about you!"

"If you truly care about me, you should trust that I can protect myself and you!" I raised my voice, "instead of making decisions for me without consulting me!"

Ella was stunned by my words; she hadn't expected me to react this way.

"You know what?" I looked at her, "Just now in the lobby, I was waiting for you to choose me. I thought our feelings for each other were strong enough to overcome any difficulty. But your choice tells me that in your heart, reality is more important than love, and security is more important than trust."

"No..."

"Yes," I interrupted her, "you're afraid of losing your stable life, afraid of facing unknown challenges, so you chose a path that seems safer. There's nothing wrong with that, but please don't say it's for my sake."

Ella was deeply hurt by my words, and she covered her face and cried even harder.

"I was wrong...I was so wrong..." she cried, "But it's not too late! An engagement isn't a marriage, I can apply to dissolve it within three months!"

"And then?" I looked at her. "And then you choose me again? Let everyone know that your previous choice was wrong? Let them laugh at us?"

"I don't care what others think!" Ella said desperately, "I only care about you!"

"If you truly cared only about me, you wouldn't have chosen Aiden just now," I said coldly. "Ella, don't you understand? I don't want your regret; I want your trust. I want you to choose me when the future is uncertain, not to only think of me when you're safe."

I turned to leave.

"Ian!" She tried to grab my hand, but I dodged away.

"Live a good life with Aiden," I said without turning my head. "Maybe he really can give you the life you want."

Stepping out of the hall, I entered the garden outside the castle. The night wind was cold, but it couldn't compare to the chill in my heart.

I thought our relationship was deep enough, I thought she would choose love over status, and I thought she truly loved Ian as a person.

But I was wrong.

When she truly had to choose, she chose reality, chose profit, and chose Beta, who could give her status and a future.

Perhaps I shouldn't have had any illusions about this kind of love that transcends social status from the very beginning.

The full moon night has ended, and so should my fantasy.