Chapter 1

A new installment in the series of young ladies who break their current situation on their own!

Theme: "Fated Mate"

"Again today, Mu-Lan Leppard!!"

With a curse, a vase was thrown at me, intentionally missing. The contents scattered, and water splashed onto my face, petals falling. The vase shattered with a *crack* behind me. I tried to calm myself, making sure not to let my long tail bristle, and I looked at him.

"You're always trying to get close to me whenever you get a chance, and it's disgusting! When will you learn your lesson?!"

The young man, with his mysterious, pure silver hair and golden dragon eyes, was breathtakingly beautiful. Today, he was holding the waist of a young lady with long, fluffy black hair and round ears.

"You need to realize it already! You're not my 'mate,' and you'll never be my favorite woman!"

He insulted me and mocked me, but he was the crown prince of this beast kingdom. No one would reprimand him for throwing a vase as an act of violence. He was the crown prince, after all.

I simply bowed my head in silence. I continued to bow until the crown prince, who called me "pitiful," walked away, and I reaffirmed my resolve.

I won't become your favorite woman.

And I won't even become your 'mate.'

Just as you wish.

I'll stop being your 'fated mate.'

I lifted my head and gave a cold glance at the back of the crown prince, who was my 'fated mate.'

"Thank you for cleaning up. Please be careful not to hurt yourself."

"Yes, Lady Leppard, are you hurt?"

I smiled and assured the servant who was worried about me.

The servants of the royal castle were also tired of the crown prince's arrogance. He would make unreasonable demands, be violent, and break things, and his arrogant attitude never wavered. If he ever said a word of gratitude, it would be like a spear falling. He was that arrogant.

"Why does Lady Leppard endure such treatment every day?" one of the servants asked, puzzled.

"...There are reasons," I replied with a shadowed smile.

His arrogance was tolerated because he was the only prince and an exceptionally talented dragon person.

The Dragaraan royal family has inherited the blood of dragons strongly through generations.

Crown Prince Rudo Dragaraan is especially outstanding in both magic and physical abilities. He is intelligent and has mastered the languages of neighboring countries. He has no flaws in his abilities, which is why few people object to him becoming the next king. The only reason is his character.

He is incredibly arrogant. It's an attitude that comes with his abilities. However, he is also incredibly inconsiderate. He doesn't express gratitude or show concern. He is self-centered.

If one of your parents is a dragon person, their child will definitely be a dragon person, such is the strength of their genes. Dragon people, being too excellent, often have a poor 'mate sense.'

Therefore, especially for the royal family, face-to-face meetings that also serve as matchmaking begin at the age of 16, when beast people can generally sense their 'mate.' If they can't find one, they choose a partner with good compatibility. The current king and queen are an example of this.

Dragon people can have a special 'mate' called a 'fated mate,' which is guided by the beast god, the deity revered by the beast people.

Unfortunately, I am that 'fated mate.'

Fortunately, the crown prince, due to his poor 'mate sense,' hasn't realized it yet. It's really a blessing in disguise. I don't want to be recognized at all.

Despite the sacred connotation of 'fated mate,' I was filled with disgust.

The existence of a 'fated mate' for dragon people is also a good omen, bringing further prosperity. Honestly, the ministers are hopeful. They think that because of his excellence, he might usher in a new era for the beast kingdom. It's a joke.

I struggled with this, but ultimately decided to take the step to 'dissolve the mate bond.'

The 'fated mate' is said to be a divine arrangement, and historically, dragon people have been deeply loved by their 'fated mate.' It is written that two people with an unconditionally loving bond are 'fated mates.'

However, there are also measures to save the situation.

For example, if you already have someone in your heart, declaring that person as your 'mate' will reassign the 'fated mate' to someone else. This happens without the knowledge of the individuals involved.

Or, if there is a reason you cannot or do not want to be a 'mate.'

This is the '333-day grace period.'

If after 333 meetings, the feelings haven't changed, and you wish to dissolve the bond without declaring it, it will be granted. Since the dragon person doesn't recognize their 'fated mate,' the dissolution must be initiated by the other party. And that other party is usually a royal.

Especially for a crown prince, rejecting a 'fated mate' is unacceptable. If I reject him, he will lose his position as crown prince. More importantly, a dragon person who loses their 'mate' will become mad, weak, and fragile, as if they have lost half of themselves. Unlike the former, the latter measure means losing the 'fated mate' entirely.

This not only affects me but also him, as he will lose too much. His position as crown prince and even his life.

However, I made a cold decision before the 100th meeting.

Crown Prince Rudo Dragaraan does not have the character to lead the kingdom. Most importantly, it was impossible for me to spend my life with him. That was the answer to everything.

The idea of being a 'fated mate' to such a crown prince is a joke.

I dried my ears with the towel brought to me, wiped my face, and left the rest to the servant, heading back on the path I had just taken. On my way to the carriage, I stopped and looked back.

At the top of the royal castle, there was a glass cage-like structure where the royal jewels shone. The largest and brightest one at the top belonged to the current king. The one slightly below belonged to the queen, and the diamond-like jewel at the bottom belonged to the crown prince.

That light is proof that the royal family is recognized by the beast god of the beast kingdom.

If a sin is committed, the light will be lost. For example, if an innocent life is taken, the light will disappear, indicating that the royal status has been revoked. If a 'fated mate' is abandoned, the light will also disappear. There is a record of this happening to a certain prince in the past. He lost the light after not believing his 'fated mate,' and by the time he realized it, it was too late. The former 'fated mate' had given up on him and disappeared, and the prince died in deep regret.

A 'fated mate' is not just a beautiful fairy tale.

I, Mu-Lan Leppard, the daughter of a count, am a beast person with a white leopard. I had a face-to-face meeting with the crown prince over a year ago when I turned 16.

That day, I was looking up at the royal jewels. I saw a flying dragon crossing overhead, and I couldn't help but get closer to see it better after getting permission. The one riding it was the crown prince, whom I was supposed to meet. I was fascinated by the beautiful riding dragon, but I was shocked when the crown prince kicked the dragon's side. The dragon, unable to resist the powerful crown prince, was pitiful. I was also shocked to see the crown prince, who was known for his excellence, resort to violence. The servants whispered, "He's taking it out on the flying dragon again," indicating that this was a common occurrence. Disgust welled up in me, and my tail bristled. I decided to keep my tail hidden in my dress to avoid showing my alertness.

I decided to finish the meeting quickly and leave.

During the face-to-face meeting in the audience chamber, the moment I met the crown prince and 'looked into his eyes' for the first time.

I realized, 'This is the one.'

'Looking into each other's eyes'

'Recognizing each other's existence'

I thought that this was what 'meeting' meant.

I had no choice but to acknowledge that he was my 'fated mate.'

But I didn't say it out loud. My tail, which had bristled and stretched out, was hidden under my dress, so no one noticed. No one even asked, "Is this your 'fated mate'?" because it's usually something you declare yourself.

But I didn't. I couldn't declare that I was the 'mate' of someone who had acted so cruelly. We exchanged introductions, and that was it.

The crown prince didn't seem to notice at all.

At that point, I had already decided to 'dissolve the mate bond' with the crown prince. He was impossible. Absolutely impossible.

On the other hand, I knew that the measures to save a 'fated mate' for dragon people had significant drawbacks, so I looked for a better way. That's why I became knowledgeable about past 'fated mates.' I visited the royal library to research and greeted the crown prince. Just doing that should count.

However, before the 30th meeting, rumors spread that I was infatuated with the crown prince and was following him around, and he found it annoying.

I was just greeting him, but when asked if there was any other reason, I couldn't answer, so I didn't deny the rumors. The crown prince, being as arrogant as he is, didn't doubt it at all.

When did I ever get close to him? I never showed any affection.

As a noble lady, I was just being polite and greeting him.

The royal castle has a sacred barrier that prevents anyone with ill intent from entering, so I could come and go freely. I would visit the library and then go to where the crown prince was to greet him and leave. He was looking for the most compatible lady, thinking he wouldn't find his 'fated mate,' and often had a young lady by his side. As his 'fated mate,' I felt more disgust and discomfort than burning jealousy.

It's really not a beautiful fairy tale.

In the end, it all comes down to the crown prince's fault. By the time we had met over 100 times, it had become a routine for him to insult me when he was in a bad mood.

He would mock and laugh. To the crown prince, I was no longer a 'fated mate' but someone he looked down upon. He would compare me to the young ladies he had by his side, praising them as beautiful and cute with shallow words. I couldn't understand what he thought I was hurt by.

His breathtakingly beautiful face, with its mysterious, pure silver hair and golden dragon eyes, always twisted into an ugly sneer. His sadistic smile held no attraction for me. I was just bound to him as his 'fated mate.'

To be freed, I need to meet him 30 more times.

Just 30 more times. A little more. A little longer.

Then the fact that I am his 'fated mate' will disappear.