Evangeline’s initially cool expression froze when she heard his last sentence.

She slowly turned her head, her gaze on Julian complex. "What did you say? My what?"

Julian pressed his lips together and walked toward Evangeline. His pace was slow but exceedingly steady, each step deliberate and solemn.

He drew near, looking at the Evangeline who was now just inches away, inhaling her familiar scent. He lowered his eyes, his gilded irises filled with sincerity. "I said, I like the sounds you make when you mate with Danton. They’re beautiful."

"At that time, this was beating very fast." Julian slowly raised his palm and pressed it against his own chest.

Evangeline’s brow twitched violently, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "Wait, no. You have a habit of eavesdropping??"

A rare crack appeared on her usually calm, smiling face.

’I had considered many reasons—that I was too strong, or too beautiful. But I never imagined that for Julian, the most unforgettable thing, the very thing that sparked his affection, was that I sounded good!’

’Seriously, does that even make sense? What kind of "cute point" is that? Are all Beastmen’s affections this primitive?’

Julian shook his head. "That night, Drake suddenly woke up but had forgotten everything. I was anxious and wanted to find you to take a look at him, but I stumbled upon... After that, you were in my dreams every night. The more I resisted, the deeper I fell."

His hands, hanging at his sides, trembled slightly, and the wound on his back began to seep blood again from his emotional turmoil.

"I know I’m not important in your heart. I’m just an accessory who followed my brother here, someone you could cast aside at will. But for the Goldeagle Clan, once we choose a mate, it’s for life—regardless of life or death, and regardless of whether you accept it."

"Evangeline, I don’t ask to form a Contract with you. I only ask that I can watch over you and protect you from now on."

Julian’s normally proud features were now incredibly soft. His golden hair was a mess, but when he looked up, his eyes were warm.

’Tsk, just listen to that. Not even the sweet, second male lead with a major role in a script could say something like that.’

Evangeline looked at the pale, trembling, pitiful man before her and sighed. ’Heaven knows my only focus is the mission. I have absolutely no interest in creating new complications by seeking pleasure with other males and increasing the mission’s difficulty.’

’In my plans, that’s something I’m supposed to do after I start my retirement.’

However, seeing the caution in Julian’s gilded pupils, the blood-stained beast skin on his body, and his slightly trembling fingers, she couldn’t quite bring herself to refuse him.

She had never been one to be indecisive; rejecting people was a common occurrence for her. But Julian... when she first met him, he was so high-spirited and proud, as dazzling as the sun in the sky. How had that sun now set, humbling itself into the dust for her?

Evangeline looked at Julian’s stubborn gaze with a hint of annoyance. ’To me, men are just entertainment outside of my mission. If we click, we get together; if we don’t, we part ways. It’s like stamp collecting—once I’ve sampled all the different flavors, I’m done.’

Julian’s hands at his sides clenched into fists, and his throat bobbed. "You don’t have to feel troubled. Just like before, I’ll stay hidden in the shadows. You won’t have to see me. If you don’t see me, you won’t feel troubled, right?"

With that, Julian turned and walked toward the shadows where the moonlight couldn’t reach.

Evangeline’s brow furrowed, and she reached out, grabbing his arm.

Julian’s whole body went stiff. He whipped his head around in astonishment, his slightly pale lips parting as he looked at Evangeline.

"Even though it feels a bit like you’re retreating to advance, I have to admit, I’m a sucker for it."

"Julian, wanting to be my male isn’t an easy thing."

"I can tell you frankly, to me, Danton, Caden Albright, Thorne, Lachlan, Loras, Drake, and The Everwake—those seven—are my top priority. Even cubs wouldn’t be as important as them."

"Many things aren’t as simple as they appear on the surface. Perhaps in your eyes, I’m different from ordinary females, and I treasure my males greatly. Or maybe, as you said, the sounds I make are beautiful. But all of that is just superficial."

"You don’t know what kind of person I truly am. You haven’t even delved into why the ’me’ from before could be so ruthless as to sever your brother’s Feather Wings, yet the ’me’ of today would travel over mountains and rivers, all alone, to find medicine for him."

"What you like is just the version of me you see with your own eyes, not the real me."

"Maybe these words are too profound for you to understand, but there’s one thing you’ll definitely get. At this stage, accepting another male is a hassle, a burden. So, I hope you’ll cut your losses now."

"A Goldeagle should soar through the nine heavens, not have its wings broken for anyone."

Evangeline’s red lips parted slightly, her dark eyes gazing quietly at Julian as she enunciated every word with clarity and cruelty.

Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty, his golden lashes trembling. After a long moment, he squeezed out a few words in a hoarse voice, "I... I just want to watch over you."

Evangeline’s eyelid twitched. ’What a stubborn, golden-haired mule, impervious to reason.’

She turned sharply and walked toward the stone cave.

Julian stood frozen in place like a stone pillar. The moonlight stretched his shadow, making it look lonely and obstinate. He just stared at Evangeline, not moving an inch, the bitterness and agony welling up in his chest a hundred times more painful than his wound.

Evangeline glanced back at Julian and said irritably, "Are you coming or not? Waiting for me to carry you?"

Hearing this, Julian’s head snapped up to look at her, his body trembling with excitement. "You... Are you saying..."

Evangeline didn’t repeat herself. ’Opportunities are always fleeting. I had a moment of weakness; who knows if I’d feel the same way later.’

But Julian was clearly not a fool. Though Evangeline didn’t repeat herself, he already understood. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he grit his teeth against the pain and followed her. But before he could get close, his gaze sharpened, and he turned to stare at the deep pool.

Evangeline also heard the sound of water breaking but paid it no mind. ’It’s probably just that toad.’

Sure enough, a handsome young man landed on the bank. He glanced at Julian, who was staring at him with bloodshot eyes, then turned to Evangeline. His voice was deep. "Female, you can’t go in there."

Evangeline raised an eyebrow, curious. "You know what’s inside?"

The Toad Beastman frowned and said, "It’s filled with poisonous creatures and toxic gas. Even a Poison Attribute Beastman like me doesn’t dare go too deep, let alone you. And this eagle here, he’d probably dissolve into a pool of blood from the gas not long after going in."

Evangeline was slightly surprised and pointed to the cave entrance. "You’re saying it’s all toxic gas in there?"

The Toad Beastman nodded. Just as he was about to step forward, Julian blocked him. His golden eyes were sharp as he said coldly, "Stay back!"

"Tch, you really think you can provoke me just because the female saved your life?" the Toad Beastman sneered.

He had little interest in this defeated opponent. After speaking, something else occurred to him, and he said with amusement, "If you were the female’s Beast Husband, it’d make sense for you to stop me. But you’re not, are you? So while I’m in a good mood, get the hell out of my way!"

As a wandering Beastman, Rask had always had a fiery temper. He fought for and snatched whatever he wanted.

Julian’s fists clenched, and his voice sounded as if it were being squeezed from between his molars. "When I reach eight stars, I’ll pierce every single one of your poison sacs and see how you can still boast then!"