Chapter 282

282 Wishful Thinking Come True

Selma Payne’s POV:

It was a period of chaos. The newly-wedded couple had no time to be intimate at all. Their time was either spent in the conference room or on the battlefield. During special times, status was not so emphasized. It was until the end of the war that my mother really realized that she had become the Queen of the werewolves from an ordinary student with a doctorate in literature.

That was why I said that plans couldn’t keep up with changes. No matter how well prepared we were, things would still be unreal when it came to it.

My mother thought that her childish self during those extraordinary years was very interesting, and she always smiled when discussing these things.

“To be honest, after I agreed to your father’s marriage proposal, I was worried that the feudal and conservative nobles would oppose my family. Back then, there were signs of such a thing, but before they could argue, an even bigger fire came. When the war was over, everything would be set in stone. It would be useless for them to object. Thus, the thing that I was most worried about did not happen. Now that I think about it, those sleepless nights were all wasted because of my unnecessary worries.”

Later, she was busy dealing with the mess left behind by the war. My mother, who specialized in literature, had forced herself to be a political veteran. My father had also used his war achievements to shut up those ambitious people’s mouths, laying a solid foundation for his rule.

After that, I was born. Before the werewolves could cheer for their long-awaited heir, I went missing in a kidnapping.

After that, many years passed, and I drifted back to parents’ side like a miracle.

This was the story of the past.

“However, after so many years, why didn’t you and father give birth to a few other children?” I didn’t understand.

My mother was stunned by my question and then smiled bitterly. “After you were taken away, I was heartbroken. I would cry for a long time when I saw a baby in swaddling clothes. At that time, the psychiatrist said that I was a little depressed. Your father didn’t even dare to let any children appear before me, let alone give birth to a new heir. After a few more years, when I walked out of my grief, your father and I didn’t bring up this matter again.

“You can call it superstition or wishful thinking, but we always feel that if a new child is born, the position that belongs to you will be replaced, and you will never be able to return to our side. So, even though we were under pressure and doubts, we didn’t want a new heir. We always fantasized that one day you would come back to us.

“Fortunately, my wishful thinking finally came true. Perhaps the goddess couldn’t bear to see us suffer the pain of losing a child and called for the river to send you back to us.”

My mother lowered her head and looked at me. Her gentle eyes were filled with love that was wider than the ocean.

“I’m sorry,” I said softly as I snuggled into her arms. “I’ve made you guys worry.”

“This isn’t your fault, child. On the contrary, everything that happened resulted from us not being competent as parents. If your father had not been taken away by the clumsy plan to lure the tiger out of the mountain, if I had listened to Layla’s suggestion to strengthen the palace’s defense, the kidnapping would not have happened.”

Immersed in the past, my mother’s brows unconsciously furrowed.

I smoothed the small knot between her eyebrows and consoled her, “This wasn’t your fault, Mother. Those ambitious people and the wanderers caused everything. It was their greed and stupidity that caused everything. However, they have long been executed, and the past has been written off and disappeared.

“All debts are written off, vanishing like smoke and clouds.”

My mother laughed in a low voice. “That’s right. Let’s not dwell on the past. There’s no need to worry about it.”

My conferment ceremony was scheduled for August, and all packs would send representatives to attend the ceremony. It could be said to be the grandest event of the werewolves in the past twenty years.

After I was officially crowned, I could no longer ‘use’ myself as I pleased. The royal family’s rules had bound me firmly. Every word and action I made in public had to conform to the princess’s standards. This meant that I couldn’t be Avril’s maid of honor. Fortunately, the wedding was in July, before the coronation. I could attend my friend’s wedding as an individual.

After finding out who I was, Avril and Mara were so surprised that it was as if a watermelon had been stuffed into their mouths. At first, they were a little worried about whether they could get in touch with me again. After all, being friends with ‘the Queen’s distant niece’ and being friends with ‘the princess’ were completely different concepts.

So, they heaved a huge sigh of relief when they were nervously summoned into the palace and saw me in my usual T-shirt and jeans.

Their curtsy wasn’t standard, so I retorted, “Now I know what you’re doing in the etiquette course. It seems that this course is for you to earn academic credits.”

Mara thought I was criticizing her, so she stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.

“Girls?” I sighed exaggeratedly. “There are only four people in the room other than you guys. Which one of them are you new to? Don’t tell me you’ve decided to cut off all ties with me overnight. That’ll make me sad.”