My father returned from the battlefield with a military dog named Marshal, a hero who earned first-class honors.
However, the poor student I sponsored tried to curry favor with my fiancé by cooking Marshal into a canine fondue.
My fiancé casually picked up a piece of meat at the dinner table and said lightly, "It's just a dog. If it's dead, we'll buy another one. She did go out of her way for you, you know."
What he never realized was that Marshal was our family's guardian spirit. After his death, misfortune struck us one after another.
The company collapsed, my parents died in a car crash and my fiancé had me confined to an asylum, a place where I endured daily torment until my miserable death.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back at that "canine fondue" dinner.
The poor student was just placing the pot of boiling red broth on the table, gazing at my fiancé with a fawning smile.
Meanwhile, my fiancé tenderly scooped a plate for me. "Try it, she made this especially for you."
I took the plate with a smile. Then, to their shock, I picked up the phone and dialed my father's old comrade-in-arms.
"Uncle Alaric, my fiancé said he wanted to try the taste of a first-class honored dog and I saved a portion for you. When would you like to come and get it?"
——
There was a moment of silence on the other end.
A deathly silence.
I could even imagine the stormy expression on Alaric's perpetually serious, square-shaped face at that moment.
Darius's gentle smile froze.
His handsome features darkened slightly, like he hadn't quite processed what I said.
"Astrid, what kind of joke is this?"
Beside him, Nicolette Vane, the impoverished student I had sponsored for five years, instantly turned pale.
Her shaking hand made the boiling hot red broth splash onto the back of her hand, giving it a bright burn.
She stared at me innocently and terrified, as if she had no idea what was happening.
"Astrid, I ... I didn't mean to. I just heard Darius say he wanted to eat something special, so I … "
Her words dissolved into tears, dripping down like broken strings of pearls.
This pitiful act had completely fooled me in my last life. Even after she killed Marshal, I still thought she was just naive.
How ridiculous!
I ignored her, quietly waiting for a response from the other end of the call.
Meanwhile, Darius's patience had clearly run out. He snatched my phone, his tone filled with condescending impatience and charity.
"Whoever you are, Astrid's in a bad mood today. Just let it go."
He was about to hang up.
When Alaric's thunderous voice suddenly roared through the phone, it was so loud and commanding that it rattled in our ears.
"Let it go? Who the hell do you think you are to decide that?"
"Put Astrid on the phone!"
An expression of surprise crossed Darius's face for the first time as he stood motionless, gripping the phone tightly.
I pulled the phone from his hand and put it back to my ear.
"Uncle Alaric, I'm fine."
"Send me the address. I'll be right there."
Alaric's voice was beyond dispute and then the call ended. The living room fell into an eerie silence.
Darius stared at me, his gaze searching and uneasy, like I'd suddenly become someone unfamiliar.
"Astrid, since when have you known someone like him?"
There was a subtle edge of offense in his voice, like his pride had been hurt.
Slowly, I pushed the plate of "Marshal's meat" that he had so thoughtfully served me toward the center of the table.
The sauce bubbled hot, chunks of meat swirling in it, giving off a sickeningly rich aroma.
"Darius, didn't you say that Nicole tried her best for me?"
