No matter how she tried, Catriona couldn't understand why Roderick would like her.
Judging by his expression, it didn't seem like he was pretending...
He had shown his wolf ears and tail... for her to see?
Since just moments ago, he had thrown all his feelings out at her.
But, didn't that have nothing to do with her?
Roderick was always such an enigma, often leaving her utterly perplexed. Every interaction with him was a guessing game, her mind filled with question marks. She understood, of course—they weren't the same kind; there was a gap between them, a divide she could only attribute to their worlds being so different.
She thought it didn't matter; they wouldn't be together long-term anyway, so the gap was inconsequential.
And now, he was saying what? That he liked her?
He was the one who had a bias against humans.
He was the one who told her to stay away.
And before, she had only smiled at him politely, but in front of everyone, he turned away and walked into the room twice, his dislike for her reaching that level.
He was the one who initially said he hated her, and now he was saying he liked her.
She dared not forget what Grey had said that night.
Afterward, their relationship softened a bit. For the sake of their child, they were comrades, sharing meals, playing together. Spending more time together, she could admit that Roderick was, in many ways, a pretty decent werewolf.
Their relationship was nothing more than that of partners, comrades, polite and courteous in their interactions. Anything beyond that...
Forget it.
Roderick had never been in her criteria for a partner, just as he had initially reminded her. She had never had any thoughts about him.
She couldn't understand the mindset of a werewolf, nor did she want to.
When she was previously disliked by Roderick and Grey, she didn't feel much about it. After all, plenty of people disliked her, and she was used to it.
As a child, she moved from one relative's home to another. Unlike adults, her little cousins didn't bother to hide their feelings. They openly rejected her, telling her to leave.
She was a stranger, an intruder.
To her younger female cousins, she was a rival, coming to steal their parents' affection.
She would always stand aside, clutching the hem of her clothes, not knowing what to do.
It was someone else's home, after all. Why should they have to welcome another person? There was no reason for the children to smile and accept her.
So, at Luna Palace, when she sensed Roderick's dislike, she felt a familiar "Ah, here we go again" feeling.
Another person who didn't like her.
So, she skillfully kept her distance from him.
It wasn't difficult at all. She had always avoided and distanced herself from her relatives' children.
After all, it was one thing if the kids just voiced their dislike, but some cousins would pinch or hit her with their little fists when the adults weren't looking.
She only needed to stay far enough away.
When Roderick entered the room to give his son cold spring water, she would stand farther and farther back, eventually going out to the balcony to wait until he left before returning.
She had always seen herself as an intruder in Luna Palace.
She always thought of herself as a passerby at Luna Palace.
Roderick seemed to care a lot about her misunderstanding, saying so much in one breath, and he seemed so hurt...
"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you." She felt she should apologize, a bit embarrassed. "I always thought you liked Snowheart."
"I like you." Roderick was visibly affected, taking a deep breath and pressing his thin lips together. "I only like you."
Roderick stared at her, unable to stop himself from taking a step closer. He hadn't planned to reveal his feelings so soon, but he'd said this much already.
"Would you be my mate? I'll be loyal to you for life, and you're free to do whatever you want."
"Whatever you say, I'll listen, but I'm afraid you won't say it."
"Whatever I have, I'll give to you; I'm just afraid you won't want it."
"There are too many werewolves in Luna Palace, right? We can move out and live wherever you like. Everything will prioritize your comfort."
Catriona didn't think much about it and shook her head. "Sorry, I don't like you. Let's just stay as partners."
Her answer.
Roderick wasn't surprised.
He thought that this hastily and clumsily handled confession was a complete disaster.
In hindsight, it was obvious that Catriona wouldn't agree.
She didn't have the slightest bit of affection for him.
She had been at Luna Palace for so long, and from the very beginning, he hadn't made a good impression, repeatedly doing foolish things and digging himself into holes.
"Alright, let's drop this and head to the hospital."
Take it slow. Mates are won over.
Catriona opened her mouth. "Can we ask someone else..."
"They're busy."
Catriona:...?
They're busy, but the birthday star himself has time?
Her wound had hurt briefly when the little wolf cub bumped into it, but now it wasn't too painful—it probably wasn't serious.
There was some bleeding, but not much.
Still, she needed to go to the hospital to apply some medicine and rewrap it with fresh gauze.
At that moment.
A young voice called out from afar.
"Mommy!!"
Earlier, Cedric had seen a group of wolf cubs his age playing together. Curiosity got the best of him, and he quietly walked over, tail wagging.
Then, the pack of wolf cubs stopped playing and began staring at him.
"Who are you?" asked a chubby wolf cub, ears and tail visible, staring at the unfamiliar Cedric.
A little wolf cub girl in a dress asked, "Is your dad that super huge—super huge demon werewolf?"
"I heard his dad is really scary," said another cub, spreading his arms wide. "He's that big—and he eats cubs too!"
Cedric:...?
He turned and looked at his dad in the distance, thought for a moment, then explained, "My dad doesn't eat young ones."
"My name is Cedric."
"Is that your mother? She doesn't smell like a werewolf at all; she's pure human."
Cedric pursed his lips slightly. "She's my mom."
The rest didn't matter.
The little wolf girl said admiringly, "Your mom is so pretty, and she's not scary at all."
"Mm-hmm." Cedric nodded seriously, his lips curling up a bit. "My mom is the most beautiful."
The little girl bounced on the spot, then suddenly dashed off. "I want to go see your mom!"
After running a bit, she saw Cedric's mom stand up and take a step back. Unable to stop, she let out an "Ow!" and bumped into her back.
Hearing Cedric's mom cry out in pain, the little girl felt she was in trouble. She'd hurt her, and now... her mom had told her not to run around...
Cedric's dad was a fierce werewolf. Would he eat her...?
When Roderick nimbly leapt away with Catriona in his arms, Cedric only caught a glimpse of their backs, paused for a moment, then hurriedly ran after them with his little legs.
Wait.
Wait for him.
Mommy, he wasn't able to catch up.
Then a large hand lifted him up—it was Scar-face Draven!
Cedric quite liked Draven. He always showed up in moments like this, carrying him along.
"Mr. Draven! I want to go find my mom."
"Alright, little cub, hold on tight."
After a short while, Draven stopped with him in his arms.
Cedric was puzzled. Why had they stopped?
"Looks like your mom and dad have something to talk about. Let's wait a bit, okay?"
Cedric furrowed his little brows, watching his parents from a distance by the pool. "Okay."
Then he heard his dad, sounding very emotional, say that he liked his mom.
He wrinkled his little brows again. "My dad likes my mom."
"What about you, little cub? Do you want your mom and dad to be together? If they're together, your family will never be separated."
Cedric's little face was serious as he thought about it, grabbing a bit of Draven's hair with his small hand. "Whether I want it or not isn't important. Mom will make her own decision."
And sure enough, he heard his mom say she didn't like his dad.
"Little cub, does your mom have someone she likes?"
Cedric looked at him strangely. "Of course, she does!"
Draven paused. "Really?"
By the pool, Roderick, who had just been rejected, perked his ears up and glanced in the cub's direction.
His heart suddenly felt heavy.
Catriona had someone she liked?
Was it Lucian? It had to be him, right?
Then he heard his precious son proudly proclaim in his little voice, "My mommy likes me. She's said it so many times."
Draven:...
Roderick:...
This little wolf cub!!
Seeing his parents about to leave again, Cedric raised his voice and ran over, shouting, "Mommy!!"
But they were too far; Catriona didn't hear him.
Roderick, for a moment, also wanted to pretend he didn't hear.
But with the cub there, Catriona would likely ask him to come along to the hospital.
Then, as soon as Catriona heard her son's voice, Roderick spoke up. "Since the cub's here too, I'll go get the car. I'd like to spend more time with him."
Watching her cub run towards her, Catriona nodded. "Thank you."
Since Roderick had offered, there was no need to awkwardly refuse.
Though, admittedly, things were a bit awkward between them right now.
After all, not knowing Roderick liked her was one thing; knowing was entirely different.
She'd need to be more mindful of the distance between them, to avoid any misunderstandings.
If she didn't like someone, she wouldn't give them false hope—this was her approach.
