The Villainess Winning Back Her Beast Husbands-Chapter 44: Fortunately, You Survived

Evangeline soon arrived at the Sun-drenched Slope. She saw a crowd of Beastmen gathered there, sunbathing. They were in their beast forms, lounging in various poses, freely enjoying the sun’s embrace. The scene was lively and chaotic.

Her gaze swept across the area. Finding Rhys Finch in this "zoo" wouldn’t be easy.

In fact, she spotted him almost immediately.

In the spot on the Sun-drenched Slope with the best sunlight, a towering white fox lay coiled. It was a full three meters tall.

Its fur was as pure as frost and snow, shimmering with a soft halo in the sunlight.

At that moment, it was listlessly flicking its large, fluffy white tail. Its head rested comfortably on its front paws in a lazy posture. But the head of this majestic beast was wrapped in layers of white gauze, which clashed with its massive, wild body. The sight was indescribably comical.

’Rhys Finch’s beast form really is a white fox.’

’That settles it. Rhys Finch is Caden Albright.’

All the other Beast Husbands had lost their ability to shift between their beast and human forms because their "parts" were missing, which had shattered their Star Patterns. But perhaps because Rhys Finch was a Fallen Beastman, he could still transform.

As Evangeline walked toward Rhys Finch, she saw that a vacuum had formed around him.

None of the Beastmen who had been clustered together dared to approach him. Rhys Finch sat alone in the empty space, exuding an aura that warned others to stay away, a stark contrast to the lively, crowded atmosphere around him.

The sudden appearance of a female sent a wave of clamor across the Sun-drenched Slope.

"A female? That’s a female, right? Are my eyes deceiving me?"

"HISS— Why is that female going over there? Is she from the Wyndsong Tribe?"

"Stay clear!"

"..."

The rising and falling murmurs and gasps from the Beastmen didn’t seem to disturb Rhys Finch at all. He remained comfortably resting on his front paws, his big, fluffy tail flicking lazily now and then, as if the world around him had nothing to do with him.

The warm sunlight spilled over him, outlining his massive form.

Only when Evangeline was right beside him did the tips of Rhys Finch’s snow-white ears twitch slightly.

Evangeline sat down cross-legged next to Rhys Finch. She glanced at his soft, snow-white fur and her lips curved into a smile as she offered a sincere compliment. "So your beast form is a white fox. It’s beautiful."

"Beautiful?" a low, resonant voice drawled from the white fox’s mouth, tinged with a faint mockery.

Evangeline didn’t reply, knowing this was a sensitive topic for him. Instead, she changed the subject. "Do you want to leave Thorncliff?"

Rhys Finch reacted as if he’d heard a joke. "Is there any Beastman here who *doesn’t* want to leave?"

After speaking, he seemed to think of something. He tilted his head, and his white tail began to swish back and forth, stirring a gentle breeze. "I’m curious. Even if you get a Beast Crystal, how do you plan to get back?"

"I’m a Witch. Is there anything a Witch can’t do?" Evangeline lifted her chin slightly, full of confidence.

’When you’re away from home, you make your own identity.’ She was quite pleased with the title of "Witch."

"Is that so?" Rhys Finch chuckled softly. His fluffy tail suddenly swept across Evangeline’s back without warning. His resonant voice was bewitching, laced with a teasing tone. "The little maiden, may I ask you something?"

Evangeline’s eyes flickered. She watched him composedly, a smile playing on her lips. "Sure, go ahead and ask."

Hearing her agree, Rhys Finch seemed to have run into a difficult problem, and he didn’t speak for a long moment.

In the end, it was Evangeline who broke the silence. "Since you can’t seem to ask, how about I ask you a question instead? I’m curious. If you want to leave Thorncliff so badly, why did you become a Fallen Beastman?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, it was as if even the wind and sand around them had stilled.

After a moment of silence, Rhys Finch seemed to let out a slight laugh. He tilted his head, his massive body curling around Evangeline. He spoke in a soft whisper, but his cold aura added a sense of pressure. "To survive."

Evangeline paused, then raised a hand to touch Rhys Finch’s fluffy ear. "Well, you survived."

Rhys Finch froze completely. The next instant, the white fur all over his body stood on end, and a low growl rumbled in his throat.

"Angry?" Evangeline thought for a moment, a glint of mischief in her eyes. She moved closer, pulled a gap in the gauze, found Rhys Finch’s mouth, and popped a piece of crystal-clear candy inside.

A sweet taste spread through his mouth. A light flickered around Rhys Finch’s body as his form shrank, and he transformed back into a human.

"What is this?" Rhys Finch’s tongue pushed the candy out of his mouth. His voice was filled with confusion.

Evangeline’s eyes curved into crescents, as if she could dispel any gloom. "Candy. When life is bitter, have a little more, and things will feel sweet."

Rhys Finch glanced down at the candy in his hand, sneered, and tossed it into the sand.

He said, "It seems life for the Beastmen on Thorncliff has changed quite a bit."

Evangeline seized the opportunity. "Were you about to ask about things on Thorncliff? What do you want to know?"

Rhys Finch’s slender body tensed for a moment. His voice was calm as he said, "I don’t want to know."

Without another word, Rhys Finch turned crisply and strode toward the tribe’s settlement with steady steps.

He stood tall and straight. Despite his eyes being covered by a white cloth, robbing him of his sight, every step he took was precise and without a hint of hesitation.

Evangeline watched his retreating back for a moment, then called out, "Wait for me!"

*

Back at the settlement, the Beastmen were all in high spirits, already preparing to go out and hunt.

Rhys Finch paid them no mind, showing none of the concern expected of a leader. It was as if the other Beastmen were invisible to him. Without giving them so much as a second glance, he walked back to his own dwelling as if no one else existed.

Evangeline followed close behind, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the wary looks from the other Beastmen.

She was just about to leave when someone called out to her. She turned to see it was The Ravening Wolves.

"What is it?" Evangeline asked, her expression suspicious.

The Ravening Wolves scratched his head and glanced in the direction Rhys Finch had gone. He spoke with difficulty, "The little maiden, it’s almost time for the High Priest to grant us the medicine. The leader hasn’t been going out, so we can’t turn in enough Beast Crystals. The High Priest definitely won’t give us the medicine this time. Can you help us persuade the leader?"

Evangeline furrowed her brow. "High Priest? What do you mean?"

The Ravening Wolves faltered, only then remembering that Evangeline wasn’t a Fallen Beastman.

He didn’t know how to explain, so he just said, "Anyway... anyway, please help us persuade the leader! Without the medicine, even the leader might not be able to withstand it!"

With that, the Beastmen left the settlement.

Evangeline’s expression hardened. ’So there really are secrets on Thorncliff. It’s not as simple as it looks on the surface.’

She returned to Rhys Finch’s dwelling. He was resting on the Bone Bed, his soft, even breaths filling the air. He seemed completely at ease, giving no indication that a High Priest was coercing them with medicine.

Evangeline didn’t disturb him. She sat down at the stone table and prepared a bowl of instant noodles.

An overpowering, savory aroma filled the air, seeming to shimmer with oiliness and stirring a deep hunger in anyone who smelled it.

Just then, Rhys Finch’s low, raspy voice, tinged with laziness and displeasure, suddenly broke the silence. "Making this kind of smell in my home... are you tired of living?"

Evangeline took a loud SLURP of her noodles and looked at Rhys Finch, her words muffled. "Want some?"