Evangeline crossed her arms, her appraising gaze tracing every line of Loras’s form.

The end of her sentence lilted upward, filled with admiration. "Absolutely stunning."

Loras’s long lashes trembled, and a blush crept into the corners of his eyes. As he looked up at her, ripples spread through his purple irises. "Really?"

"Of course." Evangeline chuckled and gave a very serious nod. ’Loras just lacks a bit of confidence. Once he gets out and meets more people, with time, he’ll definitely grow into the body and presence of the Nine-star Extreme Realm.’

’And as for Nix, she would help him return to the Nine-star Extreme Realm and live a life that was truly his own.’

Loras pressed his lips together, then suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. His voice was soft. "Th-thank you... Eva."

’Thank you for looking past our history and bringing me home. Thank you for giving me a shelter from the storm. And thank you, most of all, for letting me stay by your side, to be called your husband.’

Having experienced the ways of the world, Evangeline naturally understood the complex, unspoken emotions coiled within Loras’s words.

A faint smile touched her red lips as she moved closer to his side, placing her slender hand over the back of his cool one.

Loras’s body went rigid, but he didn’t pull away. Beneath his long lashes, his gaze flickered with uncertainty.

Evangeline looked up at him, a radiant smile on her face. "Let’s forget everything in the past. We can start over, shall we?"

Loras stared, mesmerized, into her sparkling eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed. "I thought you were thinking of Nix."

Evangeline suddenly laughed. "I’ve told you before, I’ve never gotten you and Nix mixed up. He’ll be back eventually. What I should be worried about now is who to help when he does return and you two decide to fight."

The corners of her eyes crinkled, a teasing note in her voice that instantly shattered Loras’s dazed expression.

He looked down and chuckled, his laughter soft and gentle.

The moment Evangeline saw Loras out and closed the door, the smile vanished from her face. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

*

As Loras slowly approached, several men—some sitting, some leaning, some standing—looked up in unison, their gazes as sharp as blades.

Ordinarily, the timid Beastman would have retreated to avoid them, but this time, facing their cutting glares, he merely paused for a moment before continuing on his way.

A magnificent black brocade robe accentuated his slender frame. Its flowing, dark gold patterns seemed to suppress the fragility of his past self.

Loras’s gaze was lowered, his eyes skipping over the others to land directly on Drake in the corner. "She wants to see you."

Drake, his back as straight as a spear, swept his gold-and-red eyes over Loras. He grabbed Julian’s wrist and headed for the bamboo house.

Suddenly, a dark figure barred their way.

Thorne lazily extended an arm, blocking Drake and Julian. He sneered, his expression defiant. "Drake, need I remind you? Eva only called for her Beast Husbands tonight. And him..."

He trailed off, his eyes raking over Julian from head to toe before he let out a derisive scoff. "Is he worthy?"

Thorne was ill-tempered and quick to provoke. His voice lilted upward as he spoke, and he put extra, biting emphasis on the word "worthy."

Julian’s gilded eyes turned icy, and the aura around him grew oppressive. He glared at the trouble-making snake before him.

Thorne seemed to have adjusted to the peculiar clothes he was wearing. His casual posture exuded dominance, his dark green eyes narrowing into vertical slits as he stared at Julian like prey. ’Hmph, a mere snake, daring to hunt an eagle?’

Thorne licked the tip of a fang, the scales on the side of his neck faintly shimmering into view.

Drake’s expression didn’t so much as flicker. His golden eyes were fixed on Thorne, his aura razor-sharp. "This doesn’t concern you."

"If it concerns Eva, it concerns me!" Thorne shot him a derisive look, his voice sinister.

He raised a hand and carelessly tugged at the tie that felt like it was strangling him. If Eva didn’t like it, he would’ve ripped it off by now. Even so, the motion tore open a few buttons, revealing the red fox marking on his neck.

Thorne glanced down at his now-disheveled collar, his brow furrowing as he muttered, ’Eva won’t be mad, will she?’

His sinister tone held a rare note of anxiety, and even his vertically-slitted, dark green eyes widened slightly.

Just as the tension between them reached a breaking point, Caden Albright let out a soft chuckle and said casually, "Eva’s going to get impatient."

His words instantly dispelled the tense, frozen atmosphere.

Thorne shot Julian an impatient glare but ultimately stepped aside, letting Drake and Julian pass.

He leaned against a tree trunk, arms crossed, his dark green eyes narrowed as he stared coldly at Julian’s retreating back, a flicker of murderous intent in their depths.

’That guy just won’t give up. Hmph.’

Evangeline was sitting at a table adjusting her camera when someone pushed the door open, letting in a gust of wind.

She glanced up to see Drake walk in, dragging Julian behind him. Both wore blank expressions, but there was a difference: Drake always looked like that, whereas Julian’s face was dark, his thoughts unreadable.

"Did Thorne give you two a hard time?" Evangeline asked, the corners of her eyes lifting. She didn’t even need to think about it to know what had happened.

’Maybe it’s because eagles and snakes are natural enemies. Thorne has never been able to stand Julian. It would be more surprising if he *didn’t* try to take a bite out of him.’

Julian looked up at her, and the anger churning in his eyes froze the moment it met her languid gaze.

He turned his head away, letting out a nearly inaudible huff, but his tightly clenched fingers relaxed slightly.

Evangeline shot him a glance, then set her camera on the table. She stood and pulled Drake over, flashing him a sweet smile. "Come on."

’Drake wasn’t the type to join in on this sort of thing. If not for his amnesia, he definitely wouldn’t have come.’

’As for having Julian tag along, she didn’t mind. Both of them were breathtakingly handsome, so it was no loss to her.’

’These two brothers... one was calm and steady, the other proud and arrogant, but both possessed a sharp edge that dared others to look them in the eye.’

Evangeline looked up at Drake and pointed to the beast skin he was wearing. "Want me to help you with that?" she asked, testing the waters.

Drake gave her a puzzled look, not a trace of shyness on his face. "Aren’t we mates?"

Evangeline raised an eyebrow, but before she could act, Drake had already spread his arms wide, calmly letting her remove his beast skin garments.

The moment the beast skins slid off, they revealed a body covered in scars, yet toned and muscular.

Evangeline’s fingertips hovered over the ghastly scars, hesitating to touch them. New wounds were layered over old ones, some perilously close to vital points. ’Who knows how much he must have suffered during his time as a wandering Beastman.’

"Does it hurt?" Evangeline asked, her voice barely a whisper as her fingertips gently traced his scars.

’This was a classic line, perfectly suited for the "beautiful, strong, and tragic" male lead archetype. And clearly, that’s exactly what Drake was.’

’In romance stories, playing on the "self-inflicted wound" trope was always a winner. But making the "beautiful, strong, and tragic" male lead feel pitied was another excellent way to capture his heart. Naturally, she wasn’t about to pass up such a golden opportunity.’

Drake’s muscles instantly tensed, going as taut as a bowstring.

Julian had been leaning lazily against the wall with his arms crossed. But when he saw Evangeline strip off his brother’s beast skins without a moment’s hesitation and then reach out to touch him, his fists clenched with a CRACK. His handsome face darkened.

He sneered. "For a wandering Beastman, pain is the most trivial of concerns."