Evangeline squeezed Danton’s hand back, following the guidance of the Contract Mark as they searched the grasslands.

They searched from sunset until the moon was high in the sky, checking each Moonlight Flower one by one as they followed the rich fragrance in the air.

Just as she’d suspected, Loras was indeed hiding. He had suffered immense mental torment. Perhaps the most courageous act of his entire life had been stabbing his own female under the watchful eyes of all.

Evangeline slowly crouched down, her skirt fanning out over the lush green grass.

Her fingertips parted a few clumps of tangled weeds, revealing the Moonlight Flower hiding within.

This particular Moonlight Flower was huddled in the shadow of a boulder, like a crumpled ball of violet gauze.

It looked as though it had endured a long drought, already starting to wither and die. Its closed bud drooped listlessly.

When the night breeze swept by, its stalk trembled and bent, nearly pressing it flat against the ground—a stark contrast to its kin nearby, which stood tall, facing the moon.

Evangeline stared at a spot of dried, dark red on its bud. The color seemed to have seeped into the very veins of the petals. It was the blood left behind when Loras, with a trembling hand, had plunged the bone knife into her body.

"What’s wrong with him?" Danton asked from behind her, his body casting a long shadow. He sounded puzzled.

"He’s afraid of the moonlight." Evangeline’s gaze fell to the Moonlight Flower hiding in the rock’s crevice, a flicker of sorrow in her eyes.

Moonlight streamed around the boulder, yet Loras stubbornly kept himself hidden in the darkness. The petals that should have unfurled to absorb the moonlight were wrapped tightly together, as if cowering from a deadly poison.

For a moment, she hoped that the one in control of the Moonlight Flower was Nix.

But she knew full well that Nix would never hide. He always faced challenges head-on, finding life in death.

Loras, who once could face the moon, had now become a "monster" who feared it.

"Loras?" Evangeline reached out and touched the flower bud.

The instant her fingertip touched the petals, the Moonlight Flower shuddered violently, as if it had suffered a great shock. Its stalk recoiled in a panic, wrenching itself from her touch and shrinking deeper into the boulder’s shadow.

"Don’t be afraid..." Evangeline softened her voice, her red lips pursing slightly as she inhaled the faintly bitter, grassy scent.

Danton glanced from Evangeline to the terrified Loras, then stood and walked a short distance away.

He stopped about five paces away, his tall, slender figure sinking into the rolling waves of grass. The moonlight gilded his azure hair, and his eyes never left the delicate figure sitting cross-legged by the boulder.

"Loras, perhaps I should have told you sooner. I’m not the Evangeline you know. I come from another world, and the reason I crossed time and space to the Beastman Continent was because of you and the other males who have been hurt."

"You were never meant to face the pain of a shattered Star Pattern. I’m here to help you."

"Although I was forced to bear the burden for ’Evangeline,’ it was a debt she owed you. If it can help you break free from the torment of the past, then it will have been worth it. By the way, look what I have here!"

Evangeline continued speaking softly to the Moonlight Flower, taking the egg from her storage space.

The eggshell glowed with an iridescent light, pulsing gently.

"That knife wound you gave me almost prevented this little one from being born."

"But he’s grown a lot since then. He’s going to be a very healthy cub."

Evangeline’s soft voice paused, her gaze fixed on the space within the boulder. "But a hatchling needs someone to look after it. You know The Everwake hasn’t resolved his inner conflicts. He doesn’t even know he’s a father yet."

In the night wind, the Moonlight Flower trembled slightly.

"Loras, hatchlings need to be cherished. You and he share a profound fate. Don’t you want to make up for what happened?"

Perhaps Evangeline’s words struck a chord in Loras’s heart.

The Moonlight Flower in the crevice suddenly began to sway. Its petals unfurled, layer by layer, releasing a rich fragrance. Its pale yellow leaves stretched out, reaching forward to touch the iridescent eggshell ever so lightly, ever so carefully.

The hatchling inside the egg seemed to catch the scent and gave a cheerful pulse.

Evangeline’s lips curved. "I’m not the real ’Evangeline’," she said softly. "I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to. I only hope that you can emerge from the pain of your past and live freely."

"Loras, I don’t blame you."

Evangeline’s voice was like a gentle stream, seeping softly into every corner of the rocky crevice.

After some time, a brilliant purple light suddenly erupted from the crevice! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

When the light gradually subsided, a slender figure was crouched beside the rock, hugging his knees. His purple hair was a mess, with dewdrops clinging to the ends. His lips trembled as he slowly lifted his gaze to meet Evangeline’s.

"Loras?" Evangeline asked tentatively, looking at the Beastman before her who was identical to Nix.

In truth, there was no need to ask. Though they looked identical, their auras were completely different.

Unlike the deathly gloom and hint of madness that clung to Nix, Loras was fragile; even his breaths were tremulous.

"Loras?" Evangeline called again, her voice even softer.

Loras’s eyelashes fluttered violently, his pale lips pressed into a thin line. Timidity filled his purple eyes. Despite the Nine-star pattern blooming on his forehead, he looked as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

After a moment, his gaze swept over Evangeline’s chest, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

He spoke, a weak voice spilling from his lips. "Him... can you... save him?"

Evangeline froze, falling silent.

Of course, she knew who Loras meant by "him."

Loras’s breathing was short and shallow. He didn’t dare to look at Evangeline, instead holding his breath as he stared at the distant, swaying waves of grass.

"I... I didn’t know he would give me everything. I owe him too much."

The night wind lifted his purple hair, revealing the scar over his heart. It was the last thing Nix had left him—a mark of power that felt like a form of revenge.

"You’re so powerful. Can you... can you save him? I can give him everything."

"Including... this life."

As he spoke, a sheen of tears began to well up in Loras’s eyes.

Evangeline lowered her gaze, her long lashes casting faint shadows. Her fingertips trembled, but her voice was steady as she said, "Loras, I’m sorry. I’m not a god."

She was no creator god. She couldn’t bring the dead back to life, much less reverse a death of the soul, like Nix’s had been.

"From the moment he chose to end his own life so that you could live, there has been no more Nix in this world."

Loras’s pupils constricted, and his whole body went rigid as if he’d been struck by lightning.

His body swayed. The moonlight fell on his arm, searing a mark into his skin, but he seemed to feel no pain. In that same instant, all the surrounding Moonlight Flowers withered and died.

Purple petals drifted down like a silent rain.

Loras clenched his fists. As if mustering a great deal of courage, he turned to look at Evangeline.

He met her eyes and forced out a dry, hoarse sentence from his throat. "He said that... from the very beginning... the one you wanted was me, not him. But I know. You were different with him."