The first person to realize Evangeline was pregnant was Lachlan.

"Eva... you..."

His grayish-brown eyes stared at the Beast Spirit Flower on Evangeline’s forehead, a ripple of emotion stirring within them.

"What is it?" Evangeline blinked, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him feed Bunny her milk formula.

The little girl was surprisingly easy to raise, obediently opening her mouth for whoever was feeding her. Among the men, however, her favorite was Nix—perhaps because the grass doll he’d made had left a deep impression.

Whenever Bunny saw Nix, she would babble and lunge forward, even more excited than when she saw Caspian Albright.

Nix, on the other hand, was completely overwhelmed, keeping his distance every time.

Lachlan’s throat bobbed. After he finished feeding Bunny and took the bottle to wash it, there was a sudden CRACK. He had gripped the glass bottle too tightly, and it shattered, a web of fine cracks spreading across it.

He froze, then slowly crouched down, his trembling fingers reaching for the shards.

"Be careful not to cut yourself." Evangeline reached out to pull him back and saw, as she’d expected, faint bloody scratches on his pale fingertips. He seemed oblivious, his eyes fixed only on her.

Evangeline suddenly tilted her head and chuckled softly, the light filtering through the window lattice catching the glimmer in her black hair.

Her fingertips gently traced Lachlan’s tense jawline. Her voice was bewitching and teasing, the last word sweet as honey. "Staring at me like that... are you thinking of becoming a father?"

Lachlan’s pupils contracted, and a choked sound escaped his throat. His ethereal voice was terribly hoarse. "You..."

Evangeline smiled at his stunned expression, patting her still-flat stomach. "I know."

It was her body, after all. She would naturally be the first to sense the new life budding in her veins.

Besides, she was an expert in this field; she was all too familiar with the signs of pregnancy.

"Here, feel." Evangeline took Lachlan’s hand and guided his palm to her flat stomach.

Lachlan’s palm was cool and hesitant. But the moment he touched her soft skin, he froze. His knuckles curled unconsciously, as if afraid he might break a priceless treasure.

His grayish-brown eyes suddenly lit up, shimmering with a fractured light, like dawn breaking through the forest canopy. A faint smile touched his thin lips.

Evangeline chuckled softly, then leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Lachlan’s neck.

His arms tightened instantly but then eased their grip just as they were about to encircle her. His fingertips hovered over the small of her back in a restrained arc, afraid of putting any pressure on her. He even held his breath slightly, his abs tensing.

Evangeline’s lips brushed against his ear, her voice as bewitching as if it were steeped in honey. "Lachlan, if you really were to become a father, would you be happy?"

Lachlan’s breath caught in his throat, the emotions surging in his chest nearly bursting forth.

His lips gently touched the space between her eyebrows, a kiss so reverent it was almost trembling. Even the hand on her waist couldn’t help but tighten slightly. His ethereal voice was low and husky. "...I’d be overjoyed."

In his arms, Evangeline listened to his thunderous heartbeat and smiled.

Just then, the door to the bamboo house was thrown open, and Thorne burst in, bringing a gust of mountain wind with him.

"Eva! I found something in the forest today..." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

His words died in his throat.

Thorne took in the scene before him, his dark green eyes narrowing, a dangerous glint flashing within them.

His long fingers inconspicuously tightened around the leaf-wrapped bundle in his hand, but a moment later, he relaxed, affecting a nonchalant air. He walked over, placed some wild fruits on the table, and chuckled. "Here. The first sour berries of the season, right after the rains."

With that, he leaned close to Evangeline, pulling her out of Lachlan’s arms. The natural scent of fresh grass and morning dew wafted over. Thorne’s handsome brow was still dotted with dampness.

"I don’t know if these sour berries will suit your taste. If you don’t like them, I’ll go farther out and pick something else for you! Okay?" His voice was full of anticipation as he presented the wild fruits to her as if they were a treasure.

Before Evangeline could even raise her hand, Lachlan had already taken the berries. "Eva is newly pregnant with a cub," he said. "These berries need to be washed a few more times."

Thorne’s brow furrowed, his dark green, vertical pupils narrowing dangerously. "Those are for..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

Thorne froze, his pupils contracting violently into thin slits. His gaze was fixed on Lachlan’s face. After a moment, he turned mechanically toward Evangeline, only to meet her radiant, smiling face.

Thorne swallowed hard, his gaze slowly falling to the Beast Spirit Flower on her forehead.

"Preg... pregnant with a cub?" Thorne was so excited his voice cracked.

The rainy season had passed with no news, and he had assumed it was because Eva was only a One-star patterned female, her fertility too weak. He never expected to suddenly hear such good news!

Lachlan glanced at him, then left the bamboo house with the fruits.

Thorne suddenly dropped to one knee. His trembling hand hovered over Evangeline’s stomach, wanting to touch but not daring to.

At that moment, his dark green, vertical pupils, which usually held a defiant and fierce glint, were now like a puppy’s—wet and trembling. "A cub..."

Thorne seemed to remember something and shot back to his feet, his vertical pupils shining with astonishing brightness.

He gestured frantically. "I—I’ll go pick more fruit! My mother said that females love fresh fruit when they’re carrying a cub! The ones on the cliff face are the sweetest!"

Before he had even finished speaking, Thorne had already turned and run off.

Lachlan, returning with the washed fruit, was almost knocked over by Thorne as he sprinted out.

"Take care of Eva!" Thorne shouted, clearly in high spirits, before disappearing into the distance.

The mountain wind carried his voice back: "Wait for me, Eva! After I pick the fruit, I’ll hunt the freshest prey and roast the most tender meat for you!"

As Lachlan sidestepped, he even caught a glimpse of the dark scales that had appeared behind Thorne’s ear out of sheer joy.

He raised an eyebrow, a faint smile rippling in his grayish-brown eyes. He handed her the washed wild fruits. "It’s rare to see Thorne so happy he can’t even hide it."

Evangeline chuckled softly. "It’s everyone’s first time becoming a father. It’s normal to be happy, isn’t it?"

She patted her stomach and rested her chin on her hand. "If it’s not his, he’d be disappointed, wouldn’t he?"

The jade ornament in Lachlan’s hair tinkled as he leaned down, a sound like a clear mountain spring.

His cool, thin lips brushed against the Beast Spirit Flower on Evangeline’s forehead. His voice was crisp and clear as he held a sour berry to her lips. "As long as it’s a cub you’ve carried, I will love it."

"My, you know how to say sweet things to coax me now?"

The corners of Evangeline’s lips curled, her gaze full of interest as she looked at Lachlan.

His features were as perfect as a painting, so clear and pure they could make one forget all their worries, like a mountain stream.

Lachlan’s grayish-brown eyes were fixed on her, filled with an unwavering seriousness. "I’m not trying to coax you. I don’t say sweet things, and I would never lie."

Evangeline was taken aback, her heart skipping a beat as she found herself lost in those clear eyes.

Just then, two tall figures slowly approached from the distance.

They walked one after the other. One had silver hair that flowed like a waterfall, or a celestial river of stars; his bewitching face was more captivating than the sun in the sky. The other’s curly purple hair swayed with each step, releasing waves of a dark fragrance, his every move exuding a natural, roguish charm.

Evangeline looked up at the two men, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You’re back. Did you find out anything interesting?"