Chapter 2 I'll Make You Deeply Regret This

• The entire hall instantly fell into stunned silence.
• Even the triumphant smile frozen on Elysia's lips stiffened. Then, she burst into delighted laughter.
• “Darius, are you serious, Daphne?”
• She laughed so hard that her shoulders trembled, her voice dripping with mockery.
• “If you were going to choose at random, you could have chosen Xander. Why would you pick someone like Darius, who doesn’t even possess divine power?”
• She clicked her tongue.
• “Or is it because you couldn’t have Theron, so you’ve gone completely mad and lost all reason? How pitiful!”
• Her laughter echoed throughout the grand hall, and even some of the servants openly mocked Darius.
• Yet he acted as though he heard none of it.
• His gaze remained fixed on me alone, his eyes shining brightly.
• “Are you sure, Daphne?”
• He hesitated.
• “I’m not a prince with the fame or power of Xander or Theron..."
• Before he could finish, I hurriedly took his hand.
• “Very sure, Darius. I want to marry you.”
• I emphasized the words once more before lifting my head and meeting Elysia’s gaze directly.
• “Belittling others is not something a goddess should do, Elysia. More importantly, Darius is my future husband and your brother-in-law.”
• My voice was cold.
• “Then show him the respect he deserves.”
• Having been openly rebuked, Elysia’s face flushed crimson with fury. Blood vessels surfaced in her eyes as she tried to charge at me, only to be restrained by my step mother, Evadne.
• In the end, she could do nothing except glare at me resentfully.
• The pairing ceremony came to an end, and it was time for the presentation of the princes’ betrothal gifts.
• The moment my father, Zeus, prepared to announce Theron’s gifts, Elysia instinctively straightened her back, pride radiating from every inch of her posture.
• “The betrothal gifts presented by Theron consist of one hundred Moon Diamonds, ninety-nine chests of gold, and a laurel jewelry set.”
• The moment the announcement ended, gasps of astonishment rippled through the hall.
• Theron’s betrothal gifts were undeniably lavish and extravagant.
• “Don’t worry, Daphne. My betrothal gifts won’t disappoint you.”
• Suddenly, Darius took my hand, his touch gentle and reassuring.
• I lifted my head to look at him and caught a fleeting glimpse of the warmth in his eyes.
• For some reason, his words filled me with absolute confidence, even though I myself had no idea what he had brought.
• “Daphne, what kind of betrothal gifts has your future husband prepared?”
• After basking proudly in the admiration of the crowd, Elysia looped her arm through Theron’s and raised an eyebrow smugly.
• “Don’t tell me it’s two gold coins. Judging by how poor he looks, he hardly seems capable of producing anything valuable.”
• Elysia covered her mouth and giggled, doing everything she could to belittle me, as though trying to make up for all the humiliation she had suffered in her previous life.
• However, I merely smiled calmly.
• “You’ll find out soon enough. Why are you in such a hurry, Elysia?”
• I tilted my head slightly.
• “And if my betrothal gifts turn out to be more impressive than yours, try not to get so jealous that your eyes turn red.”
• My blunt response made Elysia’s chest heave with anger. She muttered several curses under her breath, her expression darkening considerably.
• Zeus picked up a sheet of parchment, cleared his throat, and began reading the list of betrothal gifts that Darius had prepared.
• “The Golden Laurel of Helios, a laurel jewelry set blessed by the Sun, the Scepter of the First King of Olympus, one hundred Sunfire Crystals, and nine hundred and ninety-nine chests of gold..."
• The moment the list was read aloud, the entire hall fell into stunned silence.
• Even I stared at Darius in disbelief.
• “I told you,” he said softly, “I wouldn’t disappoint you.”
• A faint smile curved his lips. His golden eyes reflected the brilliant sunlight, and his smile was so gentle, so breathtakingly warm, that my heart skipped a beat.
• In my previous life, from the moment I became Theron’s wife until the day I died beneath Elysia’s blade, I had never once received a gaze so sincere and tender.
• It was not indifference disguised as kindness, nor was it a calculated act meant to manipulate me.
• It was genuine appreciation.
• And at that very moment, I finally realized that Darius’s faction was nowhere near as weak as the rumors claimed.
• He had simply chosen to conceal his strength all this time.
• Across the hall, Elysia’s expression had darkened to an extreme.
• “Daphne, don’t get arrogant too soon. You were just lucky, that’s all.”
• Her voice was cold.
• “Besides, Darius is still nothing more than a worthless cripple. A few cheap betrothal gifts don’t mean he can make you the Queen of Olympus.”
• I merely smiled faintly.
• “At least those betrothal gifts are worth more than the ones you received.”
• For a moment, Elysia’s face flushed crimson with humiliation.
• Perhaps unable to endure the embarrassment any longer, she turned sharply and stormed out of the hall.
• “Just wait.”
• Before leaving, she shot me a venomous glare.
• “The wedding is in three days. I’ll make you deeply regret this.”
• I paid her no mind.
• Instead, I simply curved my lips into a faint smile as I looked at Darius.
• Regret?
• In my previous life, I truly had regretted choosing Theron.
• But in this life...
• Elysia could be the one to learn what regret felt like.