41: 41 The First Battle With Catherine

41 The First Battle With Catherine

This was the first invitation I had received since I entered the palace. The invitation came from my nominal rival in love. It's from Catherine, the Prince's ex-fiancee. 1

"Sis, are you going to see her?" Vivian cocked her head. She also saw the struggle on my face.

How could I not struggle?

At the party, Catherine's defiant smile and the implied words still haunt me. I lowered my eyes and remembered that she was wearing a red dress similar to mine, but with a completely different aura, proud and arrogant.

"Miss, I don't think it's a good idea to turn down an invitation. You'll have to deal with them in the future," Susana said calmly, standing aside. She probably saw my hesitation too, so she suggested it directly.

I was silent for a moment. What Kral said to me that day in the lake suddenly crossed my mind.

‘Everyone will treat you according to your strength. You must prove yourself worthy of the Queen's Crown.’

Cowardice leads only to ridicule and bullying. Running away won't solve the problem. I clenched my fingers and said in a deep voice, "I understand, Susana. I'll go."

Susana nodded in satisfaction and immediately got up to get ready.

Before I left, I asked Vivian to find Alen and ask him about Catherine.

"Delia, Catherine is indeed considered to be the prince's fiancee. His Royal Highness' parents died young, and elder William has always had a reputation among the elders, so his daughter was considered the most suitable candidate."

"Then why aren't they together?" Asked Vivian curiously.

Alen sighed. "His Royal Highness has no desire to marry, and he doesn't have much... love for Catherine, and more importantly, they are not mates,"

Alen said, casting a complicated look at me, who had been silent all this time.

He continued, "But His Highness had his 23rd birthday last month. After meeting with alphas of all packs, he announced that he was going to the Red Moon pack to marry his chosen queen. Although some of the nobles did not agree, His Highness moved so quickly that he took you back before they could react."

I nodded. Catherine is the daughter of elder William. She has a high status and a special identity with Kral, who grew up with him. In the eyes of the nobles, they should have been a match made in heaven, but all this was upset by my appearance.

Well, she has every reason to hate me, and now she sends me an invitation to meet her. This is probably not a well-intentioned move.

"I see. Thank you, Alen." Now that I understand her attitude toward me, I have to face it.

"I could tell the prince. Perhaps Catherine would be kinder to you if he came with you," Alen kindly suggested.

As Kral's right-hand man, he had seen Catherine at the party and understood her malice towards me.

At the party, when Catherine challenged me, Kral chose to remain silent rather than defend me, which made me feel a little irritable.

"No!" I interrupted Alen. I need to do this on my own, not on Kral.

"Well, if that's what you want, I respect that," Alen said, looking surprised, but he didn't say anything more.

Susana accompanied Vivian and me to the carriage. Out of Susana's sight, Alen slips Vivian a handful of candy.

So, on the way to William's Castle, I sat in the carriage and watched Vivian happily peel off the beautiful candy wrappers. She threw candy in her mouth and laughed like a stuffed hamster.

The tension in my heart was relieved by Vivian's actions.

"Here we are, my lady." The servant opened the door and led me out. I stepped gracefully out of the carriage and looked at the beautiful castle in front of me. It was a small castle with red brick walls, white windows, and beautiful lawns. From the outside, red roses can be seen on the black fence, making the castle look very romantic.

"Welcome, Delia, Catherine has been waiting for you," says a silver-haired man dressed as a butler outside the castle.

I whispered to Vivian as I watched everything on the way. “Vivian, you're a witch. See if there's anything wrong here.”

"Yes, sister." A bell rang between her wrists, and Vivian answered me with magic.

Vivian and I were led by the housekeeper to a small garden. The housekeeper handed me a cup of black tea. The smell of black tea, mixed with the smell of roses wafting from the castle, was delicious. But I only put the tea on the delicate glass tea table, looking at the manicured lawn and staring at the housekeeper. "Where is Catherine? I don't understand. Is it your custom to keep your guests waiting?"

"Well..." the housekeeper bowed his head and could not speak.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." A clear female voice sounded. The rose-shaped pearl curtain in front of me was opened by a hand and I saw a gorgeous face.

Catherine is here. Her long red curls fell over her shoulders like petals. Her red lips were full and charming. She smiled as her black eyes swept across my face. "I didn't know you came early. I just prepared a small gift for you in the room. I hope you like it."

"What?" I looked at her suspiciously. Her attitude towards me changed suddenly, as if she had never provoked me at a party before.

"Come and see if you like it."

When I looked closely, my pupils contracted.

She approached me slowly.

She was dressed in a tight riding suit. Her left hand slowly raised, a nearly one meter high bow and arrow in her hand. Her hand drew the bow. The dark bow curved into a crescent. A long, straight arrow lay on the string, and the silver arrow glistened in the sunlight.

"Catherine!"

"Sister!"

Seeing everything, the housekeeper and Vivian shouted at the same time.

Is she crazy?

My heart trembled and my face turned pale. Catherine's piercing eyes gave me a smile. She raised her eyebrows arrogantly and adjusted the angle of the bow in her hand. She chuckled and said, “Actually, I'm not good at archery. But today, let's see how lucky the future queen is.”

"Bang!" The arrow shot towards me. The sound of it cutting through the air was slight but still heard by me.

I jerked to my side, pulled out the dagger hidden in my sleeve with my right hand, and hid Vivian behind me. After a sharp flash of cold light, the arrow towards me was cut by my dagger.

The long arrow broke in two and fell to the ground in disarray.

Terrified, Vivian and the housekeeper finally broke free from their frozen state and whispered in my ear, "Are you all right?"

Is that what this is about? She tried to kill me so fast?

I looked up slowly.

Catherine, who is tanding across from me, reminded me of some painful memories. I clenched my fists and steadied my shaking arms. The darkness in my heart grew and grew, and my eyes were fixed on her.

She folded her arms as if she were watching a comedy.

I gritted my teeth. "Catherine, I really like your present. I wonder if you'll like my present?"

"What?" She said, frowning and finally looking at me in the eye.

I picked up the arrow on the ground and turned slightly. The silver arrow flew out of my hand with all the strength of my body. It flew like a silver lightning bolt, past Catherine's face and into the wall behind her.

A faint trace of blood ran across Catherine's face.

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