Anila's POV

I've been kneeling here for two hours.

When Garrett left with Liz, he instructed the guards by my side to watch over me, forbidding anyone to approach.

I feel like a guilty thief, punished and humiliated by the master.

My nose tingles with bitterness, and my face is marked with despair and desolation. I gaze forward with eyes filled with anguish, teeth biting down hard on my lower lip, my chest heaving violently.

Tears unstoppably flow down my cheeks, and I can feel the sobs churning in my throat.

I hang my head, like a pathetic, disgraced hound, reluctant to be seen in such a wretched state.

Suddenly, a pair of brown, patterned shoes appear in my eyes. These aren't Garrett's.

"Don't cry. If you keep crying, who will oversee tomorrow's grand ceremony, Anila?" Cooper hands me a handkerchief scented with flowers.

"Thank you." I take the delicately crafted handkerchief embroidered with the Gerson family crest.

This isn't the first time I've received a handkerchief from Cooper. Each time I feel wronged or bullied, Cooper offers me a handkerchief.

Both he and I grew up with Garrett since childhood, and as children, the three of us shared a close bond. Cooper remains Garrett's most trusted companion.

And I am uncertain where I have erred, as Garrett's attitude towards me vacillates between icy aloofness and warm closeness, sometimes distant and other times near. Until now, I've become nothing more than a dog under his command, allowing him to trample upon my dignity as he pleases.

"Get up, Beta. There's no reason for you to kneel here. You have more important things to attend to," Cooper grasps my arm, attempting to pull me to my feet.

"The Alpha didn't order me to get up. How can I dare to move..." I speak quietly, struggling to maintain what little dignity remains.

"Garrett sent me to fetch you," Cooper mumbles, rubbing his nose and avoiding my gaze deliberately.

I force an unattractive smile and raise my chin. "You were pleading for me, weren't you? Next time, go earlier. I still need to save face."

"Who doesn't know that our Beta is not only ambitious but also concerned about her image, with a high self-esteem? Making you kneel here is more like killing you," Cooper understands me all too well.

But what he says is just my attempt to mask the protection of my inner self, or else, how could I have held on until now?

I rise to my feet, brushing off the ashes from my knees, and begin organizing the scattered documents on the floor. This work represents my labor over the past few months.

"Garrett is really becoming more and more childish. Doesn't he realize how hard you've been working on the preparations? This is his first Lupercalia Full Moon Ritual. How could he be so careless" Cooper speaks up beside me, clearly frustrated.

I know his personality well; he's just straightforward to the core like his father Bray Gerson. He can't keep a secret and is genuine to the bone.

"Shh, caution if someone overhears," I warn. With more people in the palace, it's dangerous to be heard.

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm just stating the truth."

I know that Cooper's words don't really matter, but I'd prefer he doesn't say them next to me, to avoid me getting caught in the crossfire once more. This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

"How long are you going to stick with me? "I already have a chatty Semanth; I don't want another verbose companion like Cooper.

"Of course, I have to protect you," he says, his two thick eyebrows gently curved like the crescent moon in the night sky, always seeming to carry a hint of a smile.

His wheat-colored skin exudes a lively, sun-kissed appearance, and his striking features add a touch of recklessness to his handsome, sunny demeanor. He has a Good-looking and a great personality, but he just doesn't want to put in the effort to become the next general.

"All right, I'm going to find General Bray now. Come on, let's go together," I grab his hand and flash a mischievous smile.

He reacts like a startled bird and quickly pulls his hand back. "N-No need, I have to go brief the other captains about their tasks. I'm really busy!" Cooper adeptly turns and escapes, as if he thinks he'll be caught if he doesn't run fast enough.

This upright young man is normally not even afraid of Alphas but is quite afraid of his own father.

I chuckle to myself, enjoying the sight of his retreat. He's so cute.

I decided innerly that I won't be so direct with him next time. I'll have him follow me all the way to the general's presence and see how he reacts.

Semanth noticed this small scheme, saying, "Be careful, he might conspire with Garrett to tear you apart."

Semanth doesn't trust him.