Swapped Bride: Awakening of the True Princess

The Kingdom of Silver Moon uses a straw draw to decide which princess will marry into the Wasteland Wolf Clan. Lila draws the short straw and begs Maeve to take her place. Remembering her last life — a marriage to Asher filled with hatred and a kingdom's ruin — Maeve volunteers to go to the wasteland instead.

Maeve tells the king her condition: Asher must not learn of the swap until the wedding. She recalls how in her last life she forced Asher to marry her and lost everything. Now she volunteers for the wasteland, saying Asher and Lila are in love and should have each other.

Maeve keeps the swap from Asher, hoping he will be overjoyed to see Lila at the altar. Asher notices her unusual indifference and grows suspicious. A man claiming to be a wasteland envoy is actually the Wolf King himself; he takes an interest in Maeve and threatens to swallow the kingdom if no bride is delivered.

Asher storms in and accuses Maeve of forcing Lila into a wasteland marriage, vowing she will never have his heart. Maeve watches coldly, remembering how she spent a lifetime begging for his love in her past life. She tells him she will be gone for good once the wasteland escort arrives.

Asher storms into the temple demanding the High Priest stop the marriage, and tells Maeve he will never marry her. Maeve watches coldly, remembering how her mother once cheered her with lockets, and how Asher made them for her after her mother died. When Lila appeared, Asher stopped making lockets only for her, and now Lila asks for a moon-shaped locket right in front of her.

On the Moon Goddess Festival, Maeve receives a locket from Asher but orders it thrown away. She steps outside and overhears Lila playing the martyr in public. Lila confronts her, demands the necklace, taunts that Asher will never look her way, then stages a fall and calls for help.

Lila claims Maeve pushed her off a cliff. Asher arrives and immediately blames Maeve, demanding she apologize and hand over the necklace he gave her. When Maeve refuses, he insults her as jealous and twisted, even invoking her dead mother.

Maeve wakes injured. Asher asks her to go easy on Lila, who is about to leave for the wasteland. Maeve recalls that in her last life, Asher never once came to her chambers, yet now he is here for Lila. She coldly tells him he will soon marry the love of his life and never have to see her again.

Maeve discovers her mother's spark locket is missing from the moon temple. Lila appears holding it, claiming Asher gave it to her to strengthen her weak body. When Maeve demands it back, Lila pretends to toss it but lets it shatter. Asher arrives and shields Lila, accusing Maeve of violence in the temple.

Lila cries out in pain, and Asher carries her off to find a healer, leaving Maeve behind. Maeve kneels in the temple, apologizing to her mother for failing to protect the last keepsake. She swears before the moon god to sever all ties with Asher and Lila.