Chapter 77: Unwanted Disaster

The red ponytail girl jumped in defensively, pointing a finger.

"Nonsense! Don’t you dare spread false rumors to cover up your own pack’s insignificance. Our Lyra has absolutely no connection with that defective runaway. She is officially engaged to Prince Liam, not some wolfless trash."

Hearing this, Marina clicked her tongue beside Moon, whispering, "Such a liar."

As if to prove her point to the entire tavern crowd, the red ponytail girl grabbed Lyra’s wrist and lifted it high, proudly displaying a nice, star-shaped ring set with a glowing gemstone around her ring finger.

"Look! They were engaged last week. We are only tracking the fugitives to relieve Alpha Vaelis’ stress as an act of goodwill between our families."

The Vesper Moon Pack boy went rigid, his smirk faltering slightly upon seeing the ring.

A flash of genuine jealousy and irritation crossed his features before he quickly masked it.

Moon watched with immense amusement.

Did this boy have unrequited feelings for her? No wonder he was arguing so passionately over a simple tavern table. He just wanted her attention.

It was the same in his world, too.

He still remembered once when a great archmage’s granddaughter even threw a full cup of tea in a waiter’s face in a rage, just because it was slightly cold.

Those children from big sects or families would always throw a tantrum over booking a private box near the windows.

Thinking of the absurd similarities, Moon couldn’t help but let out a soft, amused chuckle.

As he was laughing softly, remembering how those arrogant young masters back home always barked and stumbled, he suddenly felt a chill on his back.

Somewhere between his thoughts, the air changed inside the restaurant.

Nox, Ugo, and Axe had come beside him at some point, and they were also leaning on the railing from upstairs.

But the problem was that while Moon was immersed in the thoughts of his previous world, he accidentally let his chuckle slip out loud in real life.

Instantly, every single gaze downstairs landed on him squarely.

The air paused for a moment.

As if pouring water into boiling oil, the girl downstairs erupted. Her face twisted in anger as she pointed up at the balcony.

"You! Who are you laughing at, you gutter-rat scoundrel?"

Moon was utterly stupefied by the sudden outburst. How come he had become the target all of a sudden?

He hadn’t even been paying attention to her words, yet here he was, caught in the crossfire of a rich girl’s temper.

"Who are you calling a scoundrel, you old hag!" Marina—the otherwise sweet girl in Moon’s eyes—suddenly shouted back with her crisp, childish voice.

She gripped the wooden railing tightly, leaning halfway over it as she glared down.

Moon looked at her face, completely unable to relate the voice he had just heard with her innocent looks. ℯ

Only the blush on her cheeks was proof of how angry she was.

Moon stood there, silently contemplating how he could avoid this disaster.

The crowd below gasped, shocked that a mere child in tattered clothes dared to speak to an Alpha’s daughter that way.

Lyra’s face flushed from red to a dangerous purple.

Nox coughed slightly under his breath, instinctively stepping a bit further into the shadow.

Even though he was in disguise, this Lyra was once really his so-called future fiancée, and the last thing he wanted was her recognizing him in a run-down tavern.

"He didn’t mean to laugh at you. You guys continue. We are leaving," Nox said softly in a grave tone.

He wrapped his hand around Moon’s shoulder, about to turn and go inside the box to defuse the situation before it dragged them into the spotlight.

But the waiter, realizing it was a chance not to offend two powerful packs, suddenly shouted out, "Ah, sirs! Now I remember! You see, these esteemed guests were the ones who actually booked that box earlier! We mistook you for them and gave you the box by mistake. Can you go out and leave it to them?"

The sheer absurdity of the lie made Oshan chuckle at these words, shaking his head as if he knew this kind of story was coming.

Axe cursed under his breath, his knuckles turning white on his cup.

"We have paid you! Whether it was booked or not has nothing to do with us now," he grumbled, slamming his cup down onto the wooden railing.

"How much did you pay? I will pay you back double!" the boy from the Vesper Moon Pack shouted, glancing up at the balcony with a sneer as he drew a leather purse from his sash belt.

He tossed it lightly in his palm, the siki coins clinking loudly to flaunt his wealth.

"Sorry, we are not going to leave," Moon said, his voice calm but cold as he shook off Nox’s hand and remained standing at the railing.

The Vesper Moon Pack boy’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t expect a refusal.

After all, Moon and his group’s attire was worn out, simple, and tattered. They didn’t look like people who could afford a box, and certainly not the type who could offend a big pack.

"What an ungrateful fellow! The fact that the Vesper Moon Pack is offering you a favor and talking to you is already your great achievement. You really have no shame, taking a place that’s not yours!" The boy gritted his teeth.

"What do you mean, ’your place’? We paid, and the food is already on the table. You are the shameless ones to ask us to leave," Nox said irritably, forgetting his desire to hide for a brief moment as his temper flared.

"This fellow, mate, is right. Why don’t you just find a place downstairs somewhere?" suddenly, Lyra said aloud, her crisp voice cutting through the argument.

She crossed her arms, slowly inspecting the group on the second floor.

Judging by their tattered and poor attire, it was highly unlikely these people came from any decent place or possessed any backing.

It was always best to not offend any big pack like Vesper, but she also didn’t want to be humiliated and leave the restaurant empty-handed after throwing a tantrum.

Stealing the box from these commoners was the perfect compromise to save her own face.

"You give the box to us, and we will pay for your food and the entire bill," Lyra said carelessly, as if she were granting a grand charity to beggars.