“Well, it seems to have healed completely. No matter how I look at it, you’re still as handsome as before.”

After returning to Loizen, Chloe heard that the emperor was using Santal’s healing liquid and had Hugrey apply it as well. Although his body had recovered, scars remained all over.

And thanks to that, Chloe was soaking in satisfaction as she examined Hugrey’s cleanly healed face from various angles.

“What is it?”

Hugrey asked with a slightly furrowed brow.

“Your face. Do you know how upset I was when Calcus clawed up your face too?”

“Look, Chloe. I wasn’t the only one who got clawed. That bastard’s face was even more…”

Hugrey retorted with an irritated expression.

‘I guess he’s also upset about his pride.’

No matter how much she told him that he wasn’t in heat, that wolves and lions can’t fight one-on-one, and all sorts of other things, he seemed annoyed by the fact that he struggled in the fight against Calcus Tacan. He was fine for a while, but seeing him flare up like this again these past few days.

“Calcus’s face is none of my concern, I only care about your face. I’m so glad you’ve become handsome again like this.”

Chloe tried to change the subject. Emphasizing that ‘What’s important is not that you were injured, but that you’ve recovered. I only care about your face.’

“Can’t you stop using that expression? I’m not handsome.”

But Hugrey voiced his dissatisfaction once again. Calling something handsome that is handsome, what’s there to be so displeased about? After recovering from a major illness, he seemed to be having all sorts of complaints.

“Alright then, beautiful face. Better?”

“That’s not good either. Just say ‘manly-looking’.”

Chloe couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t used to be like this, has he become a bit childish, or more like a kid? Ah, could it be… because of that?

A new hypothesis about why Hugrey had become so sensitive lately came to mind, but she decided to let it go for now. Even if the hypothesis was correct, it wasn’t a problem she could solve right away anyway.

“Okay, I’m glad there are no scars left on your manly-looking face.”

Chloe said as she stroked his face. The Santal healing liquid was truly worthy of being called a magical liquid. Various scars that remained on Chloe’s body had also disappeared thanks to that healing liquid.

Remembering the scars left on Nathan’s face, she suggested applying the medicine to him as well, only to find out how dumbfounded she was when she learned that Nathan, who had returned from vacation, had gone back to his hometown with the Santal healing liquid in hand.

Nathan, who had rested too much, was losing muscle in his body, but he returned to his hometown with tears of gratitude in his eyes, saying he could use this precious healing liquid on his family.

Declaring loudly that he wouldn’t neglect training in his hometown and would return completely prepared next time he came back.

That’s how the duke sent Nathan off, but Chloe clearly heard Hugrey mutter to himself at the end of his words.

Completely childish, really.

She could only hope that the reason he had turned into such a grumbling pubescent boy was what she suspected. If it was that, it would be resolved soon, if not immediately.

Hugrey Ulpaz, as the Alpha, summoned the entire wolf shifter clan. It was for the punishment of disobeying the Alpha’s orders and driving the Alpha’s mate to death.

Although Hugrey was just a ‘kid’ in front of Chloe, standing before the entire wolf shifter clan, he exuded such charisma that no one dared to look him directly in the eye.

“I have no intention of forgiving those of you who have betrayed our kind.”

Every word of Hugrey Ulpaz froze the hearts of all those gathered there.

In fact, since all the elders of the wolf shifter clan had ultimately remained silent on Reina Tilbit’s proposal to kill the Alpha’s mate and welcome a new one, no one could escape the punishment of Duke Ulpaz.

However, no one knew that Reina Tilbit’s plan was to neutralize Duke Ulpaz by trying to re-imprint him, planning to hand him over to Calcus Tacan, so they too were shocked and lamented when they learned the full details of the incident.

To think they would go as far as directly attacking the Alpha, not just the Alpha’s mate. And even mobilizing shifters from another species.

In reality, Reina Tilbit’s plan had gone awry. She had predicted that the lion shifter emperor wouldn’t kill the leader of the wolf shifters even for political reasons, but Calcus Tacan focused more on personal interests than political ones, and drove Hugrey Ulpaz to the brink of death.

If Chloe Liden, the Alpha’s mate, hadn’t arrived there in time, the Alpha might have really died. This was the point where the wolf shifters lamented and regretted their decision even more.

The reason they couldn’t accept Chloe Liden was that she was originally from the despised tiger shifters, and lacked the abilities of a shifter. But she overcame the side effects at the most crucial moment and succeeded in tiger transformation, and not only that, she saved the Alpha who was driven to death.

In the history of wolf shifters, no Alpha’s mate had ever single-handedly saved the Alpha from actual danger like Chloe Liden did. In fact, wolf shifters were not those who fought alone. They only fought as a group under the Alpha’s command.

However, the current Alpha’s mate was a powerful shifter who needed no one’s help, a new type of mate that the wolf shifter clan had never experienced before.

Of course, her ability manifestation was not yet stable. Like last time, this time too she lost consciousness and collapsed, involuntarily progressing to human form. However, given the rate at which she was developing, it was clear as day that her abilities would eventually stabilize and she would become the most powerful Alpha’s mate in wolf shifter history.

Why had they tried to eliminate such a woman? No one could even open their mouths, let alone raise their eyes, due to their own impatience and frivolity.

“We will follow the Alpha’s decision.”

It was Count Watts’ somber voice that broke the painful silence.

“Those who tried to kill the Alpha’s mate have denied both of the wolf shifters’ essential natures, and even violated the clan’s taboo. Therefore, we can no longer recognize them as members of our clan.”

Although Hugrey’s sharp criticism was not at all excessive, the shifters found it difficult to say they would accept his punishment. It meant that everyone had violated the taboo and no one could escape that punishment. The entire clan.

“The clan’s elders, and all who followed them, share the same crime. The entire wolf shifter clan, that is.”

An unbearable chill swept over those who were listening to the duke’s words without even raising their heads.

“So, after much deliberation, I have decided on the punishment I will impose on you.”

At his words, the eyes of everyone looking at the ground suddenly turned to the Alpha. No one could even imagine what decision he had made.

“Since I cannot exile everyone from the clan, I have decided to step down from the Alpha position and no longer act as the clan’s leader. I hope you will protect the clan and decide its fate on your own. I have no desire to lead those of you who have denied the essence of wolf shifters and betrayed the Alpha.”

“No…”

“Th…that…”

Sighs erupted from the elders gathered at the meeting. It was a blindsiding punishment that no one had imagined. The Alpha abandoning the clan. It was an unprecedented situation and an equally shocking and desperate decision.

As the most powerful Alpha and his mate, all expectations of the wolf shifter clan that the next generation’s Alpha born between them would also be excellent were dashed. Due to none other than their own foolishness and mistakes.

They themselves had abandoned their Alpha, and the Alpha followed their decision and abandoned them.

“Before stepping down from the Alpha position, I will give my last order as Alpha at this place. I cannot recognize Reina Tilbit as a wolf shifter. The Tilbit family will not be allowed to marry any shifter from now on. I will send an official letter not only to the wolf clan but to all shifter clans. The Tilbit line will not continue beyond that woman.”

Only Reina Tilbit carried the shifter blood of the Tilbit family. If it becomes impossible to produce an heir through that woman, it meant that the Tilbit family would disappear from the history of wolf shifter families, like Joyce’s family.

Of course, since her brother had already imprinted with a wolf shifter woman, that woman could give birth to a wolf shifter child. But with Hugrey’s decision, that child would change families to belong to the woman’s family, not the Tilbit family.

As it was the Alpha’s decision, other shifter families were unlikely to ignore his and the wolf shifter clan’s decision and marry Reina Tilbit.

Not only Reina Tilbit, who couldn’t appear at the meeting, but all the elders as well, couldn’t even open their mouths at his decision. It was a very cruel judgment, but considering the magnitude of the crime she committed, it couldn’t be said to be that severe. In fact, the crime she committed was so great that she should accept any punishment.

There was a rumor that the reason the Alpha didn’t kill that woman was actually because the Alpha’s mate had told him to spare her. Saying that there would be many occasions in the future when they would have to kill people, but there wouldn’t be many opportunities to forgive an enemy they wanted to kill, so they should forgive when they could.