289 Imagination
Selma Payne’s POV:
When we returned to Avril’s side, the lunchbox on the table was still unopened.
“Why didn’t you open it?”
“I… I’m nervous!”
We didn’t know how to react, but we encouraged Avril to gather her courage. She had to eat lunch. It would be bad if she fainted from hunger during the midnight ceremony!
After taking a few deep breaths, Avril opened the lid with a slight tremble.
A small iron box was in the corner of the exquisitely arranged food. Opening it, there was a black bracelet shining with a subtle luster.
Avril covered his mouth as if she was about to cry again.
Every werewolf had heard such a bedtime story when they were young:
Long ago, the Moon Goddess sent a valkyrie to the mortal world to find her lost spear. This spear had been picked up by a young man who lived in the depths of the forest and used it as the pillar of his house.
To retrieve the spear, the valkyrie changed into a young girl, a woman, and an old woman to approach the young man.
But she didn’t know that this young man raised by nature had the world’s clearest vision. He had long seen through the valkyrie’s disguise and rejected her time and time again to see the valkyrie again – he had fallen in love with her.
For the fourth time, the valkyrie, who had seen through the young man, returned to her original appearance and, in a feat of anger, killed the man who dared to deceive her. The young man’s hot blood splashed into the valkyrie’s eyes, and she saw through his heart.
The valkyrie held the dying young man in her arms and begged the Moon Goddess for help. The goddess turned the spear into a black wolf so the young man’s soul could live in the wolf’s body.
At the end of his life, the young man weaved his hair into a bracelet and gave it to the valkyrie. He swore to be the slave of the bracelet and that he would try to return to the valkyrie’s side no matter how many times he reincarnated.
Due to this legend, the wristbands that werewolves weaved with their hair became a love token. It represented an indomitable love and a promise that would never disappear. The valkyrie and the black wolf would punish anyone who went back on their promise.
“I didn’t expect…” Avril broke down in tears again. This time, no one reminded her about her makeup. We were doing no better than her.
Looking at Avril’s happy crying face, I was happy for her, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but fantasize: When I marry Aldrich, what kind of token would he give me? Would it be more touching that evening primroses? Would it be more sensual than the bracelet? What should I give him? Would he laugh at me for being childish? Or would he happily accept my kind intentions?
The fragrance of the bay leaf tree wafted from the potted plant and drifted into my fantasy, spraying a layer of sweetness on everything.
As the best men and bridesmaids, we had to dance for the guests in place of the ‘shy’ bride and groom. In ancient times, this tradition was somewhat similar to blind dates, so traditional social dances had a bit of a charm. But times were different now. We were all young people who didn’t like to follow traditions. Passionate rock music and cheerful dance steps were our favorites.
The rigid rules of pairing in pairs were thrown to the back of our minds. We freely pulled the guests we were familiar with into the dance floor with us, and most of them happily accepted the invitation.
My dance partner was naturally Aldrich. The elegant spiral dance steps were no longer rigid under the transformation of rock and roll, allowing any sweet casualness to flow.
As we laughed and played around, the young guests joined us spontaneously while the older guests indulged in our youthful and playful antics. I saw Avril sticking her head out of the stained glass window of the bride’s lounge, excitedly drumming for us. Perrin peeked from the opposite window and looked at the entranced Avril with a loving smile.
The bride and groom had seen each other before the wedding. What should they do?
What should they do? I didn’t think the goddess would deprive them of their right to happiness because of such a cute mistake, right?
f𝑟e𝙚𝒘𝗲𝚋𝚗oѵ𝘦𝙡. c𝒐m
After the dance, we returned to Avril’s side amidst the guests’ cheers.
Aldrich reluctantly held my hand and whispered, “Have you had lunch? Are you hungry? The bridesmaids have to keep the bride company, so you won’t be able to eat anything at the party. Do you want me to get someone to send you some food secretly?”
“The newbies’ parents have prepared some delicious food for us.”
I patted his hand to convince him not to worry. I turned around and caught up with the girls’ light footsteps.
In the lounge, Avril was humming a song while bobbing her head. She wished she could dance on stage.
“This is my favorite song! Mara even adapted it into an opera when she was in the opera club, and it was broadcast on the first day of the performance!”
We looked at the top student of the Midnight Opera House in surprise. Mara waved her hand shyly and said, “It was just a small test, and it was not a TV broadcast. It’s just that the media came to interview the school that day and took some footage at the school.”
“That’s still very impressive.” We gave her a round of applause.
The sun set amidst the laughter of the people, and the moon hung high in the sky.
Finally, it was time for the ceremony.
