Chapter 271: Becoming More Beautiful

Ace had initially felt a little touched, sharing a sense of hardship with Lucas. After all, both of them had been left wondering whether they would ever have a chance to father a little Female.

Who could have expected that Lucas would suddenly glance toward his lower body?

What the hell was that bird thinking?

Was he doubting his capabilities?!

Damn it! What was there to pity? Hadn’t Lucas also lost to Ryan before?

Ace remembered how Lucas had complained bitterly to him, insisting that Ryan was a Child of Fortune and that the drawing of lots had somehow favored him.

Thinking about the drawing of lots made Ace’s expression darken again.

He had also lost to Ryan during the last Night Watch.

Why did it feel as though Ryan was destined to be his nemesis?

Lukan didn’t say much. He glanced at Ace before turning toward the house.

"Let’s go inside and see Kaelira first!"

At the mention of Sora, Ace immediately pushed his grievances aside and followed him inside.

Damien didn’t linger either. He turned and entered the house, while Nick Wilde paused briefly before following the others.

However, just as Nick Wilde reached the doorway, Damien glanced back at him coldly.

"You’re not one of kaelira’s Beast Husbands yet. It’s inconvenient for you to enter."

After saying that, Damien closed the door without hesitation.

Nick Wilde stood outside, staring blankly at the closed door.

Right. He hadn’t become Sora’s Beast Husband yet.

He was still an outsider.

After standing there for a moment, he shook his head and clenched his fists, his determination returning.

"It’s fine. I’ll still have a chance after Kaelira finishes giving birth to the little cubs."

Martin and Mark also followed the others inside. Seeing Nick Wilde’s dejected figure, Mark shook his head.

He wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he realized there was nothing left to say.

It wasn’t as though he hadn’t tried advising Nick Wilde before. The problem was that the man never listened.

With a sigh, Mark followed Martin into the house.

Meanwhile, everyone inside was focused on Sora and the little cubs. Not a single person noticed the red bird with a long tail approaching from outside.

Its sharp claws gradually moved closer to the house, its movements deliberate and cautious.

It was clearly preparing to attack.

However, before it could get any closer, another red bird swooped down, seized its long tail, and dragged it away.

The two birds disappeared from their original position in an instant.

Hannah immediately noticed that someone had grabbed her tail feathers.

Fury flashed through her eyes. Without hesitation, she produced a phoenix token, intending to deal with whoever had dared to interfere with her.

But the moment the golden-red token appeared, another hand reached out and swallowed it away.

Hannah narrowed her eyes, ready to fight.

Then she recognized the familiar figure before her.

"Mother? Why are you here?"

Ginnah withdrew her hand and glared at her daughter with her fiery phoenix eyes.

"I should be asking you that! What exactly are you doing here?"

Hannah pouted, looking thoroughly displeased.

"Brother Lucas already has little cubs. I’m going to kill them so that he can come back!"

Ginnah stared at her simple-minded daughter, feeling a headache coming on.

"That Female has so many Beast Husbands. How do you know those little cubs belong to Lucas? Hannah, you’re far too impulsive!"

"How could they not be Brother Lucas’s cubs?" Hannah argued confidently. "Brother Lucas is so handsome! How could that ugly Female possibly let him go?"

In Hannah’s eyes, Lucas possessed both extraordinary looks and exceptional talent. Any Female who wasn’t a fool would naturally want him.

No, perhaps there was one flaw.

His taste was terrible.

How could he possibly have taken a liking to such an ugly Female?

He had even run away from home because of her instead of staying with Hannah.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that something was wrong with Lucas’s judgment.

Ginnah was momentarily speechless.

There was no denying that Lucas was handsome and came from an excellent background. Unfortunately, her daughter’s obsession with him had reached an alarming degree.

Truly, beauty was in the eye of the beholder.

After taking a deep breath, Ginnah patiently explained, "Even if those cubs belong to Lucas, you could have waited a little longer. That Female is in labor right now. What do you hope to accomplish by barging in and attacking her?"

"If you really hurt his cubs or the Female, your relationship with him will only deteriorate further. Besides, the Dragon Sparrow Clan is extremely protective of its own."

Her expression grew stern.

"If the old man, Fufu, discovers that you’ve harmed his precious grandson, your chances of marrying Lucas will become even slimmer!"

Hannah immediately pouted.

"Mother, why do you always think I’m foolish? I’m very clever! Of course, I would do it secretly!"

Ginnah stared at the clear-eyed yet thoroughly foolish Female before her.

She genuinely couldn’t understand how someone who appeared so innocent could make so many terrible decisions.

She, Ginnah, had been clever all her life. How on earth had she given birth to such a foolish daughter?

"The Dragon Sparrow Clan isn’t someone you can afford to offend. It’s better to wait."

"Wait for what?" Hannah protested. "If I wait any longer, it’ll be too late! Mother, why don’t you use Phoenix Divination to steal the cubs secretly and throw them away?"

She looked rather pleased with herself, as though she had just come up with a brilliant plan.

Ginnah rolled her eyes.

"Phoenix Divination is physically and mentally exhausting. You want me to use it for something this trivial? Do you think your Mother hasn’t lived long enough?"

"Mother, that’s not what I meant—"

Before Hannah could finish speaking, a faint golden light appeared in Ginnah’s palm.

She waved her hand.

A bird-man immediately appeared and reported respectfully, "Madam, that Female did not give birth to Master Lucas’s cubs."

Ginnah nodded calmly.

"I see. You may leave. Continue keeping a close eye on them."

After dismissing the bird-man, she turned toward her daughter.

"Did you hear that? That Female isn’t carrying Lucas’s cubs. Come with me, and don’t act so rashly again. You nearly ruined everything!"

The moment Hannah heard that Lucas had no cubs, her face lit up with delight.

"Then Brother Lucas must have thought she was dirty and refused to touch her!"

Ginnah fell silent.

She suddenly felt that arguing with her daughter was an exhausting waste of time.

"Fine. Can we go back now?"

Hannah was still reluctant to leave. She remembered the palm strike she had received from Damien previously and wanted another opportunity to settle the score.

However, when she saw her mother’s increasingly angry expression, she reluctantly followed her.

There was no helping it.

Her mother was truly terrifying whenever she became angry.

Inside the house, Clare had just finished covering Sora with a warm beast-skin quilt when the others began entering one after another.

Xavier was holding all seven snake eggs close to his chest. His face radiated happiness as he looked at Sora.

"kaelira, you’ve worked hard giving birth to so many little cubs!"

Sora glanced at him.

Seeing the seven eggs pressed tightly against his chest, she couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive. The eggshells were so close together that she worried they might knock against one another.

However, the next moment, she noticed that the eggs occasionally rolled slightly in Xavier’s arms.

Each time one moved, he carefully adjusted its position.

Only then did Sora feel a little more reassured.

They were snake eggs, after all. Perhaps they were different from ordinary eggs.

Besides, Xavier was a snake. Surely, he understood how to care for them better than she did.

Meanwhile, Lukan had one wolf cub hanging around his neck and held another in each hand.

He approached Sora with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Kaelira. I’ll take good care of the little cubs. You can rest without worrying about them."

Sora had initially felt overwhelmed by the arrival of so many new lives. She had no idea how she would manage to care for them all.

But seeing Xavier and Lukan naturally take responsibility for their little cubs made her feel considerably more at ease.

At least she wouldn’t have to handle everything alone.

However, after looking around the room, she realized that her beautiful Mermaid was nowhere to be seen.

She turned toward the others in confusion.

"Where is Ryan?"

Damien smiled.

"Ryan said the little Female would be more comfortable in water, so he took her for a soak."

Sora nodded in understanding.

"That’s right. Fish should spend more time in water. We can get her a little bathing tub later. My little Female is so beautiful that we must make sure she’s comfortable!"

After saying that, Sora couldn’t help sighing proudly.

"I never expected that someone as ordinary-looking as me could give birth to such a beautiful little Female. She’s definitely going to become the number one beauty in the Tribe when she grows up!"

Damien smiled at her.

"But why do I feel that Kaelira is the most beautiful one?"

Sora had already grown accustomed to Damien’s shameless remarks. She was about to retort when Clare nodded enthusiastically beside her.

"I think so too! Kaelira, you’ve become much more beautiful since you became pregnant with the little cubs. And now that you’ve given birth, you’re even more beautiful than before!"

Clare examined her admiringly.

"You look more and more like the Chief and his wife."

Sora initially assumed Clare was simply being polite.

But the moment she heard that she resembled Lyna and Martin, she immediately sat up and searched for a mirror.

She had to see for herself!

When she finally looked at her reflection, her eyes widened in astonishment.

Her eyes, which had once appeared relatively flat, had become large and round. They were now a beautiful pair of watery almond eyes.

Her nose was straighter and more refined than the one she had previously fashioned herself. Her skin was fair, smooth, and delicate, and her face hadn’t gained any noticeable weight.

She looked like a completely different person.

A genuine beauty!

Sora stared at her reflection in disbelief.

What had happened to her?

She hadn’t done anything special recently. She hadn’t even had time to take care of herself properly.

So how had she suddenly become so beautiful?

Even her facial features looked much more defined. Her eyes, in particular, seemed deeper and brighter, as though someone had given her an expensive beauty treatment.

They were large, sparkling, and full of life.

Damien had initially been joking when he called her the most beautiful Female.

But the moment he noticed the small red mole at the corner of Sora’s eye, his expression changed.

His smile disappeared, replaced by a serious look.

"Kaelira has been placed under a witchcraft spell."

"Witchcraft?"

Everyone turned toward him in surprise.

Sora lowered the mirror, her heart suddenly tightening.

Damien’s expression was grave. He opened his mouth, seemingly ready to explain what he had discovered.

However, before he could say anything, the door creaked open.

Drake walked inside, dressed in pristine white beast-skin clothing.

His expression was equally serious, and he appeared to have something important to announce.

But when he noticed how many people had gathered inside the room, he paused.

His gaze swept across the group, briefly passing over the little cubs in Xavier’s and Lukan’s arms before settling on Damien.

Then he noticed the Contract Totem.

Drake’s eyes darkened slightly.

He studied Damien with a scrutinizing gaze, as though the newly formed bond had revealed something he hadn’t expected.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

The sudden change in Drake’s expression made the atmosphere inside the room noticeably heavier.

Whatever he had come to say, it seemed that Damien’s Contract Totem had caught his attention first.