Stellan stepped aside, gently guiding Coral Cetus in front of him. A proud yet bashful expression came over his face, and his voice unconsciously dropped a few notches. "This is my mate, Coral Cetus, a member of the Mysticeti Tribe."

He then peeked at Danton, as if afraid of making him angry, and quickly added, "She... she met Evangeline at the tribal trade gathering. They’re, uh, friends, you could say."

Coral Cetus tilted her head slightly, curiously sizing up Danton.

This was the first time she had seen the Young Clan Leader of the Mer Clan.

The Mysticeti Tribe and the Mer Clan had never had much interaction, but stories about the renowned Young Clan Leader of the Mer Clan were endless. He was the male the females in her tribe talked about the most.

A pity, then, that he ended up choosing a land-dwelling female.

When word got out that Danton’s Star Pattern had shattered, countless females from the tribes in The Deep Sea had sighed in dismay.

Even though he was gaunt, he was breathtakingly handsome.

Coral Cetus recalled the Nine-Marked Beastman and the Snow Leopard Beastman from the tribal trade gathering and couldn’t help but blink. ’I have to admit,’ she thought, ’my land-dwelling friend’s mates are all exceptionally handsome.’

"Young Clan Leader." Coral Cetus gave Danton a slight nod.

After the brief greeting, her gaze shot impatiently past his shoulder to land on the pale Evangeline. Forgetting all about Danton, she jogged straight into the wooden hut.

The moment Coral Cetus stepped through the door, the heavy stench of blood hit her full in the face.

Her panicked gaze swept over the bloodstained Merweave Silk as she looked all around, spinning in place anxiously. "What’s going on? Why isn’t the cub out yet? What species is it, to make you suffer so much?!"

Evangeline looked weak, but seeing Coral Cetus’s frantic expression, she couldn’t help but chuckle. "It’s alright, stop looking. I’ve already given birth."

"You’ve given birth?!" Coral Cetus’s eyes flew wide. She immediately rushed closer, her head whipping back and forth.

"Where’s the cub? Quick, let me see!" she said, rubbing her hands together excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "What species is it? Is it a fluffy little Snow Leopard?"

Evangeline stood up, glanced at the bloodstains mottling her body, and snapped her fingers. In an instant, the stains vanished like morning dew, and the metallic scent of blood in the room was replaced by a crisp sea breeze.

Coral Cetus stared, dumbfounded. Before she could even exclaim in amazement, she saw Evangeline’s lips curve into a smile. "There’s nothing left to see here. Shouldn’t you be heading back to the Mysticeti Tribe?"

"Are you trying to shoo me away? After I was so worried about you!" Coral Cetus’s cheeks immediately puffed out, and the coral beads woven into her hair tinkled. She stomped her foot, her brow furrowed in a very unhappy pout.

Seeing her pout, a smile bloomed in Evangeline’s eyes. She reached out and pinched Coral Cetus’s soft cheek. "Who said I was trying to get rid of you? I was just worried the people in your tribe would be concerned."

"If you don’t want to leave, then stay. I’ll make you something delicious, how about that?" Evangeline pulled back her hand, catching sight of Coral Cetus’s instantly excited expression. ’She was so wonderfully simple, always able to cast her anger aside in a heartbeat.’

"Well, since you put it that way, I suppose I can agree to that." Coral Cetus’s eyes were shining, but she feigned composure with a light cough, though the end of her sentence was already lilting with excitement.

Evangeline gazed out at the subsiding curtain of rain, her lips curving. "How about an all-you-can-eat seafood barbecue today? We’ll have to trouble Stellan and Buck to catch some fish, shrimp, and conches, though."

Coral Cetus blinked, her curiosity piqued. "That’s no trouble, but... an all-you-can-eat seafood barbecue? What is that?"

Evangeline popped a few fluorescent pellets of Spiritual Medicine into her mouth. The corners of her lips lifted into a slight smile as she whispered, "You’ll find out soon enough."

’The safe birth of her ill-fated cub and her reunion with Danton—it was a double blessing, truly worthy of a celebration. And it had to be celebrated with the freshest taste of the sea.’

Coral Cetus glanced over at Stellan. He was pulling Danton aside, and the two were talking about something, not looking in their direction at all. She pouted, her long pink hair swaying gently.

"Let’s go, Buck!" Coral Cetus grabbed Buck and started running toward the shore, calling back to Evangeline, "Today, I’m going to show you what a true Deep Sea Hunter looks like!"

In the next moment, Coral Cetus leaped into the sea, her form tracing a brilliant arc over the water’s surface.

Buck was right behind her, jumping in with a loud SPLASH.

Amid the roar of the tide, Coral Cetus’s clear commands could be faintly heard. "Yes! Buck, in that reef crevice over there—yes, that’s it! The shrimp with claws bigger than its head! That one’s meat is so sweet!"

Evangeline took out a grill and some sauces, lit the charcoal, and while warming herself by the fire, pulled out her postpartum tonics.

She took a small sip of a postpartum Spiritual Medicine from another realm. A mellow, sweet flavor dissolved on her tongue, and a dense wave of Spiritual Power flowed from her throat to every corner of her body, mending it.

These postpartum tonics were quite tasty and nutritious, and the pain quickly faded.

However, a bone-deep exhaustion remained. After all, she hadn’t had a proper rest since entering The Deep Sea. The constant drain on her Spiritual Power, followed by childbirth, had left her feeling utterly spent.

She wasn’t made of iron, after all. Even the toughest body couldn’t withstand such a constant drain. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The most important thing now was to eat her fill and get a good night’s sleep. Once she had recovered her spirit and strength, she would be able to reforge Danton’s Star Pattern.

Meanwhile, Stellan was recounting to Danton all the details of what had happened since he’d met Evangeline. He trailed off at the end, then added hesitantly, "That place... the Demonsea Abyss... it’s incredibly dangerous. When I saw Evangeline emerge, she was covered in blood. Perhaps she really does want to make amends..."

Danton’s gaze sharpened, and his knuckles whitened as he tightened his fist.

Stellan’s lips moved again, but he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He hesitated, wondering if he should say a few more words in Evangeline’s defense, but after turning them over on his tongue, he ultimately swallowed them. After all, he wasn’t the one who had been hurt.

’Still,’ he thought, ’they have a Contract now, and Evangeline is clearly sorry and willing to make up for her mistakes. They should try to live their lives properly. Besides, in a Beast God Contract, it’s always the male who is bound.’

’Their fates are sealed. They should try to look forward.’

Stellan looked at Danton’s tense jaw, remembering the words he’d spoken when he left the tribe: "She may be a land-dwelling female, but she’s truly wonderful. I love her."

Back then, there had been a smile even in Danton’s eyes.

Just then, Coral Cetus and Buck returned, both soaking wet, water dripping from the ends of their hair.

Buck held a huge armful of their fresh catch. Plump shrimp leaped and twitched, scallops snapped their shells open and shut, fist-sized conches showed off their vibrant colors, and silver-scaled fish thrashed their tails. Everything was squirming with life.

"Quick, get these cleaned," Coral Cetus said to Buck before hurrying over to Evangeline’s side.

When she saw Evangeline prodding the charcoal, Coral Cetus instinctively took half a step back. The Tideborn never ate cooked food; they were even wary of such heat.

Evangeline glanced up at her, a rare warmth in her eyes. "Don’t be afraid. I’ll let you try something new in a little while."

Coral Cetus blinked, flustered by this unfamiliar gentleness. After a moment’s hesitation, she pointed toward Evangeline’s chest. "Are you... are you still in pain? When you go back... what are you planning to do?"