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The handsome Master approached me slowly, holding a sword made of mana in his hand. The sword glimmered as he pointed it towards my throat. His expression clearly showed the hatred he felt towards the wolves.

"Why did you enter this territory? Don't you know that this area is off-limits to disgusting creatures like you?" the man asked with a commanding tone.

"Master, how did you come across this creature?" the butler questioned, giving me a disapproving look.

"She dared to chase after me, mistaking me for a deer," the Master calmly replied.

"So, you intentionally led her here," the butler asked, giving his Master a sidelong blank stare.

"She was already inside my territory," the Master quickly retorted, scowling at his butler.

"Really? Did she actually have the audacity to follow the ruler of the darkness?" Caspian, the butler, stared at me skeptically.

I echoed Caspian's words in my thoughts, questioning, "Didn't they use to refer to the demon lord as the 'Ruler of the Darkness'? The demon lord Aphellios, who governed over the darkness."

I sensed a chilling numbness spreading through my limbs as I comprehended the gravity of my situation. Never had I experienced such intense fear for my life, not even during the times when my stepmother would beat me into a pulp.

Caspian walked towards me, leaning closer and then quickly stepping back. "She reeks of her species."

I had never been so insulted by a crude remark before. I timidly backed a bit, clutching the thin fabric near my chest, shivering in the cold.

The Master redirected his attention to me and inquired, "Now, tell me. To which pack do you belong in your kingdom? Why have you come here?"

"I am a rogue," I whispered, my voice barely audible as I avoided making eye contact with Aphellios.

"A rogue?" Aphellios responded, questioning me. "Why would a mere rogue wolf venture into my territory?"

"I didn't come here with any specific intention. I simply wanted to catch the stag," I explained, my words hesitant.

"Do you expect us to believe that? Why don't you reveal which pack used you as bait to be here? Don't waste our time. Perhaps the Master will be merciful enough to grant you a swift death," Caspian interjected.

I quickly glanced up, meeting Aphellios's captivating gaze once again. He scrutinized me from head to toe, skepticism evident in his stare. I realized that if I wanted to survive, I had no choice but to abandon my pride.

Having endured countless tortures throughout my life, I couldn't give up on my life without fulfilling the prophecy my mother had spoken of. However, sensing the intense hatred these two men had for wolves, I doubted that I would be able to escape with my life.

"It seems you are not going to give us a proper answer. Maybe death is what you are after," Aphellios said, clenching his jaw in frustration at my silence.

Aphellios could sense the fear emanating from the fragile girl sitting in front of him. However, he couldn't ignore the arrogant aura that surrounded me. There was something about me that he found displeasing.

Aphellios raised his sword, preparing to strike me, when suddenly I bowed before him and pleaded, "Please! Spare my life."

Aphellios paused, taken aback by my sudden change in attitude. Just moments ago, he had assumed I would accept my fate like the other spies who had ventured into this forest before.

Disobedience and disrespect towards him were the traits Aphellios despised most in these wolves. However, although I seemed no different from the others he had killed, I appeared desperate to survive.

"I was so hungry. All I wanted was to eat," I said, my eyes welling up with tears. Memories flooded my mind, and the tears began to flow uncontrollably.

In the past, when I would go days without food, my parents would throw lavish feasts to celebrate my stepbrother's accomplishments. Despite being five years younger, Erwin was just as intuitive as me.

However, Erwin had grown so much that I always felt small and fragile in comparison. I never allowed him to hug me, fearing that he could crush me with his strength.

Erwin never physically harmed me. When he was younger, he would ignore me as if she didn't exist. But as he grew older, his behavior towards me changed in ways I couldn't understand.

There was a male omega servant named Felix who was very kind to me and would occasionally hide cookies and bread for me to eat. Without his help, I would have died of hunger a long time ago. Felix was the same age as me and was a charming young boy with a kind smile.

Although his appearance was more feminine, Felix's charms were so great that he could even surpass many beautiful ladies in the wolf kingdom. This made him an easy target for the greedy alphas who would often try to take advantage of him.

However, Felix would gaze at me with amused eyes, as if he was captivated by my very existence. I even once thought that if I were a commoner, I would consider choosing Felix as my partner.

However, everything changed for Erwin when he uncovered the forbidden relationship between his sister and the low-ranking omega servant. A few days later, Erwin discovered Felix and me together, which led to Felix no longer working in the Marquis household.

Later on, I learned that Felix had been forcefully taken by an alpha even before finding his true mate. I remembered how terrified Felix was at the thought of something like this happening to him, and how he had even mentioned that he would consider ending his own life if it ever occurred.

That night, I couldn't hold back my tears, breaking down after a long time. I had believed that I had become strong enough to hide my vulnerability from that accursed family, but the house had successfully shattered me by taking everything away from me.

Despite being only thirteen years old, Erwin possessed a physique that surpassed even the most physically impressive individuals his age. Though we were stepsiblings, Erwin had inherited the same genes as I, and some might argue that he was even more beautiful than I.

With his blond hair and rare purple eyes, along with a perfectly sculpted face, broad shoulders, and a slender waist, even at such a young age, Erwin could captivate any woman.

Erwin would return from his hunting expeditions and, as usual, seek me out first. However, just like every other day, I would ignore him. While my brother never directly mistreated me, I could never bring myself to show warmth towards him. Perhaps it was something about the way Erwin looked at me from a very young age that prevented me from treating him like a typical sibling.

I recalled instances when I was falsely accused of trying to manipulate Erwin when in truth it was always Erwin who coerced me. On occasion, he would compel me to consume the animals he hunted. Furthermore, he would send the leftovers of lavish cakes to me, leading to further mistreatment from his mother. Despite his mother's repeated accusations that I was a thief, Erwin remained silent.

"Master, if all she needs is food, maybe you should let her go," Caspian suggested, interrupting my thoughts. I realized my lap was wet with tears. Aphellios turned to face Caspian, surprised by his change of heart regarding punishing the wolves.

"Master, the palace could use extra help now that you are back. Could I put this wolf to good use?" Caspian asked with a mysterious glint in his eyes.

"Whatever," Aphellios replied, letting out a sigh. The sword in his hand dispersed.

I stared at the two men, my eyes red from crying. I couldn't believe my life had been spared. Not only that, they were considering hiring me as a maid. It could be another scheme to torment me until my demise. However, I thought it was still better than freezing to death in the forest.

Caspian stared intensely at me and warned, "If you attempt any deceit, believe me, I will make you plead for death just as you did to survive today."

Nevertheless, my eyes were already gleaming with excitement, resembling those of a playful puppy. I felt they could almost envision me wagging my tail if I were still in my wolf form. I noticed Aphelios shaking his head, as if he regretted entertaining thoughts about a creature he despised the most

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