Appreciation

*Chapter 54*

I arched my eyebrow when he didn't answer. Then, it hit me. "Ah. You're a slave. Does this mean you do not know your birthday?" I asked as I caressed his hair.

He looked away. "Um... Yes."

"Poor thing..." I said as I sighed. "How about your favorite food?" I asked as I didn't know what to ask. I would just mimic what he asked me earlier.

"Honey garlic salmon."

I twitched my lips into a thin line. What else must I ask from this? I didn't know what to ask again. Earlier, I was getting flustered and it changed my behavior but right now, I grasped Frederick's mischievous attitude.

I remembered something from the past.

"Why are you frightened in riding a horse?" I almost smiled because I suddenly remembered that time he looked so frightened and he was shaking after we rode Nightsky.

"I am just traumatized..." he answered as he looked at me.

His answer surprised me a little bit. I was expecting that he would be defensive about it and would act like a brat but I was wrong. He was taking this dating too seriously.

"What happened? What resorts are you not to ride in a horse again?" Alright. This made me excited. Because I was starting to grasp asking questions to get to know each other.

I held my breath when Frederick took my hand and kissed my wrist. His usual action every time he would take my hand.

"When I was six, my brothers pulled a prank on me. They made me ride a horse even though I haven't been trained on how to ride one. Then one of them scared the horse by growling at it. The horse ran at such a speed that I couldn't take it and control it at that time. In an unfaithful moment, I fell and had a fracture on my arm and leg." He smiled bitterly. "Though we, werewolves, heal in a pacing period, I was traumatized at that time even if I say that I healed that day."

I felt him shivering. His eyes shone fear looking like he was being thrown back from that time his brothers pranked on him.

"Did your brothers have been punished?"

He nodded. "Mother made them kneel in mung beans for the whole day. Then, my father ordered us to recite the Patriotic Oath of the Sowinski Kingdom before they slept." He chuckled. "I heard them begging while they apologized to me. We were still fine after that."

I softened seeing how happy he was. But I wouldn't be surprised if they were to be recited the Patriotic Oath of our kingdom since it was one of the punishments they bestowed to any pup who did wrong regardless if from royalty faction, aristocratic faction, and commoner or slave faction.

Commoners or slaves were known as Omegas here in our kingdom.

"You seemed like a happy family."

"Indeed." He smiled softly and looked at the sky to contemplate.

That stiffened me when I saw the longing in his eyes. "How did you end up to be a slave actually? It seemed that your parents did not sell you to the slave shop after all."

His eyes widened as he gasped and gulped. "Um..." I heard his heart beating so fast for some reason.

"Do you wish me to find them, Frederick? Do you miss them?"

"No!" I flinched when he shouted. In an instant, he hugged my waist. "I don't want to..."

I blinked when his hug tightened. "Why?" Did his parents have done something with him when he grew up aside from forcing him to enter an arranged marriage?

"Just because!" He buried his face in my stomach and didn't let go of his hands wrapping around my back.

"Alright, alright. I am not going to push through." I shrugged my shoulders. Then I heard his sigh like it was a relief for him. "So, what must we do next? And my thighs are going numb already..." I complained because he had been lying on my thighs to use them as his pillow.

Frederick looked up. "You can also lie down in the blanket while I lay down in the opposite direction."

"Huh..." I felt like I wanted to leave right now. He was influencing me to do something that I thought was bizarre for my own good.

He tapped the space beside him. "Come."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and fixed my dress so I could lay on the blanket. Then I gasped softly when I came to see the blue sky as we were under the shedding of the tree. "Wow..." I couldn't help myself appreciating the sky right now.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Indeed..." I answered mindlessly.

I didn't know that the clear blue sky was so fascinating right now. I wonder when was the last time I appreciated and looked at the sky again. I couldn't remember anymore... I didn't mind my lips curling up into a smile as I felt the satisfaction of having this scenery with me.

Natural green grass... Lots of trees... Sound of birds chirping... Natural air to breathe...

I felt like I was... in Mother's place.

I stiffened, creasing my forehead. Wait... Mother's place? How could I have been to Mother's place when I haven't met her before?

*"Noblete."*

My eyes widened when I heard a soft whisper of a woman calling me on my...

"Novalie?"

I snapped back and turned my head to see Frederick with a creasing forehead. "Yeah? You were saying?"

"Are you alright? I have been calling your name but you are preoccupied." He caressed my hair. "Did I surprise you that much?"

"Huh?" What does he mean? "I don't understand... What did you say earlier?" I couldn't comprehend what he said if he really said something because I was occupied with something.

He frowned and sighed. "So, you were not listening at that time..."

"That is?"

"Nothing..." he said in a dejected tone.

"Is that important?" I arched my eyebrow and raised my head a little. He looked away and nodded. "What is it? You can say it again." I shrugged like I don't think it wasn't a trivial matter.

He pouted one more time before he took a strand of my hair and brought it to his lips. "I said that I shall do anything to make our mate bond stronger. So that..." he paused and stared at me. "You will accept me as your mate."

"Huh..." I almost laughed. I snorted and looked away when I felt my insides being caressed with a warm touch. It was alarming yet it was making me feel good. "Good luck to that," I said mockingly.

In my peripheral vision, he drew out a smile but he didn't say anything. I returned from laying down and looked at the sky.

"What are you thinking right now, Novalie?"

I want to punch this man. It irritated me when he was always calling me by my name but I couldn't bark at him because this was a date. I almost rolled my eyes at that term.

"My next agenda of commencing a birthday party this weekend," I answered. I raised my hand as if I was touching the sky right now. "I wonder if no one will attend my party."

I'd been working on the invitation before the spring came. I was not interested in preparing for my birthday party but it was a requirement if you are a noble.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because I do not have plans to strengthen my status as they all condemned me as a slutty viscountess," I reasoned. "It is hard to raise my reputation because of what happened to my first arranged marriage with Prince Atticus." I felt him stiffen but I ignored it. "I just want to be a commoner..." I heaved out a sigh. "Say, if I commit treason, will they strip me off from my title?"

"What?!" Frederick raised his head to look at me, annoyed. "What makes you think like that?"

I glanced at him. "Well..." I paused when I saw how his face darkened. I averted my gaze since he wouldn't understand my reason after all. "Nevermind."

I just want to live a peaceful life. That was all.

Then I remembered something.

"Novalie..." Frederick didn't want to drop this topic, did he? Well, he must drop it since I have no interest in elaborating on it.

"I must inherit my father's noble title as soon as possible." I turned to Frederick. "I must entice him to pass the title to me. My plans will be put in idle if I am not to become a marchioness on my own right."

He creased his forehead. "But you said that we must wait for that to happen. Because that bastard's plan won't go forward as well if you haven't inherited your father's title."

"I know..." I stroked my chin as I sighed. "How many years do I have to wait until my father dies? A hundred years?" I snorted and laughed bitterly. "There was no way I would wait for that... The earlier, the better."

"What must we do then? You are already establishing your relationship with your father, right? Once you inherit the title, that bastard's surname will have to change from Westervelt to Argerich. Do you have to wait for him until he becomes an Argerich?"

"Hell no..." I snorted.

According to the royal ordinance of the Sowinski Kingdom, a woman can inherit the noble title in her own right if the patriarch of the main branch family has no other male descendants from the close family member or immediate family member.

Father had no other brothers or nephews he could pass the marquis title. He was an only child of my late Grandma Neriah and Grandpa Miguel.

Grandpa Miguel Argerich was an orphan who had no other family and a rogue before he served his time in the military under the ruling of Grand Alpha King Apollo. He was almost killed when they found out that Grandpa Miguel was a rogue but Grand Alpha King Apollo gave him a chance and granted him a marquis title for contributing to the kingdom. Then Grandpa became an acquaintance and created a friendship with Alpha Denzil's father in the Wall Burgundy pack. That time he became a Beta when together, Grandpa help Alpha Denzil's father tp build his own pack.

My grandma whose name was Neriah Luca was an orphan and she grew up in the same environment as Grandpa Miguel. They became childhood friends and found out that they were each other's mates.

Since there were no male descendants inheriting the marquis title, Father would pass it down to me to become a Marchioness in my own right.

Marchioness Novalie Argerich.

According to the will I read, Reginald would benefit from it. But, he needed to change his surname to Argerich since Father would not allow him to benefit from it unless Reginald changed his surname from Westervelt.

There was no way I would allow Reginald to become an Argerich and would start tarnishing our family name. I knew that he would take it as a retaliation for I ruined the House of Westervelt so I could foretell that he would do the same thing when he becomes an Argerich.

Since I haven't changed my surname from Westervelt, it would be fair enough to process the inheritance of becoming Marquis Argerich or Marchioness Argerich. It would easy for me to inherit it without processing it in the supreme court and have Alpha King Azarius' approval.

"I must pay Wall Burgundy pack a visit," I said, looking at Frederick. "Father has been bombarding me beforehand with what gift he wants me to have." I smiled evilly. "I shall take that as an opportunity to have it so my plans and Reginald's plans would work, right?"

Frederick stared at me for a moment before his expression softened as he nodded. "Yes, my goddess. It would work for sure."

I blinked as I chuckled when he addressed me wrong. "So, are you back now from being my slave?" I grinned.

He smiled sheepishly. "Out of habit. I am used to addressing you that so..." he paused and shrugged his shoulders.

I rolled my eyes and decided to get up. My eyes were glued to the village houses from the Lone Crow pack. I could even see the mansion of the noble houses that were also residing in our pack. I could even see... Reginald and I's mansion.

I want to burn that mansion so bad but I am certain his ancestors would hunt me down if I do that. I snickered.

I glanced at Frederick who was still lying down at the blanket while his eyes were looking at me with fascination in his eyes. My heart jumped seeing that kind of emotion he had right now.

"You are really the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on, Novalie. No one can surpass your beauty..." he said dreamily.

"What?" I chortled, ignoring how my heart was racing rapidly at his words. "You are being hilarious again," I smirked, shaking my head.

He got up and faced my direction. "If ever we get to have a family, I would want a daughter who looks exactly like you."

I smiled bitterly. "That shall be in your dreams only." Never shall I ever bear a man's pup. I want to add but I halted myself. Frederick already knew that fact. There was no reason for me to repeat myself.

I watched his reaction as he drew out a smile. "Alright," he said in a sing-song tone, not buying what I said.

I frowned. "I am dead serious, Frederick."

"Okay." He shrugged his shoulders. His mischievous expression didn't vanish. It was like he didn't believe what I said, that it would only be in his dreams of having a family with me because I would never utter the words that I am accepting of him as my mate.

"Whatever." I sighed as I wondered how many times I have rolled my eyes this day. This wasn't my usual routine to even roll my eyes.

Because of this man named Frederick who was being hilarious with his statements. I couldn't handle how he was being like this. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack because of him.

I checked my pocket watch. I was surprised when I got to see that dusk was about to set now. I sat next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. I felt Frederick's arm wrapping my waist and leaned his head to my head.

"Frederick," I called his name as the orange hue of the sky was gradually disappearing.

"Yes, Novalie?"

I shivered when I heard his husky voice. But I grinned and sighed. "Thank you for today. I appreciate your preparation for my birthday today." I fluttered my eyes when I felt like I was going to tear up.

I silently wished that Father would remember my birthday today. Unfortunately, he would always remember it late.

I ignored the shivers I felt when his lips landed on my head. "You are always welcome, Novalie. I really want to make everything special. This is my first time I would act not as your slave, but as a man."

I only scoffed as an answer to that. My eyes were focused on the sun that already set which I could only see now was after sunset. I grinned which meant that this date was over.

I turned my head at Frederick as I grabbed his collar which earned him a gasp. "I have been patient for this day, darling. It is time for us to have our play session as part of our agreement for this date."

Frederick gulped. "N-Novalie..."

"No." I clicked my tongue, shaking my head. "You are not going to call me by my name right now." I drew my face closer to him. "I am looking forward to our playtime, darling. Have yourself prepared," I said.

He chuckled nervously. "M-Must I be frightened a-about this?" I didn't answer, staring only at him. "My goddess?" he called, nervous.

My lips stretched out into a furtive smile. "You'll see, darling. You'll see."

That made him smile wryly. Frederick knew that he must run for his life now.