The Villainess Winning Back Her Beast Husbands-Chapter 41: The Fox Clan, Caden Albright

A handsome man?

That was Evangeline’s first thought when she heard the voice.

She narrowed her eyes and turned toward the newcomer. But when she saw him, her brow twitched.

He had a tall, straight posture and long, slender limbs. A snow-white beast skin was wrapped casually around his waist, and every exposed line of muscle spoke silently of power and ferocity.

He stood alone, exuding a dangerous, fatal allure that made one eager to see his face.

But as her gaze drifted upward, a chill washed over her. It was a face that would make one’s blood run cold.

How could she even describe it?

A face like a defective piece of work, cursed by some great calamity.

His face had no skin. Muscle and blood vessels were hideously exposed, creating a horrifying texture.

His features seemed to have been warped by a pair of invisible, giant hands, twisted completely out of shape. His eyes were hollow, and his cheeks were covered in a web of cracks, like earth parched to the point of splitting apart.

He looked like shattered porcelain, each crack telling the tale of a gruesome past.

Evangeline shuddered. It wasn’t out of fear, but because the long-dormant memories of the body’s original owner began to assail her.

The original owner had seven Beast Husbands. The very first was a native of the Oasis Tribe. The two had grown up together and shared a deep bond. The original owner formed a Contract with him as soon as she came of age, but unfortunately, that was when she started to become... unhinged.

On the day of the Contract, she used Black Grass. Once her Beast Husband fainted, she took a bone knife and peeled the skin from his face.

And why did she do it?

Because her Beast Husband was too beautiful, his face a masterpiece, as if exquisitely carved by The Shaper herself to show off her divine skill.

The original owner was both delighted and jealous, so she peeled the skin from his face.

However, her Beast Husband was a member of the Oasis Tribe, and the original owner knew her actions would be met with scorn and condemnation from her people. So, on the night of the Contract, after committing the horrific act of skinning him, she threw him straight off Thorncliff, never intending for him to survive.

Evangeline’s fingertips curled inward. She stared at the man before her, unsure of what she was supposed to feel.

’Caden Albright, from the Fox Clan.’ 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

He saw Evangeline staring intently at him, frozen as if transfixed. The corners of his mouth slowly curled into a smile. Without skin, the expression was utterly sinister, enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

His steps were light as he slowly approached Evangeline.

Once near, he leaned down slightly and reached out. His fingers were like they were carved from white jade, exquisitely, almost perfectly formed. But at this moment, those hands seemed to carry a deadly threat. He gently stroked Evangeline’s hair. In the dead silence, his soft voice asked, "Are you scared?"

Evangeline stared blankly at Caden Albright. In the story’s plot, Caden Albright was like a lonely shadow completely forgotten by fate. Every detail about him came from the original owner’s memories; he was the one Beast Husband who never actually appeared from beginning to end.

But there was no doubt his fate had been just as gruesome and deserving of pity.

"Ch-Chief Rhys Finch! She’s a female who just fell from Thorncliff! Her mind isn’t right, she doesn’t know any better! You’re a man of great magnanimity, please don’t lower yourself to her level! We actually came here today to ask a favor of you!"

Seeing that Evangeline was in trouble, Kat gritted his teeth, hurried forward, and spoke in a terrified tone.

"...Rhys Finch?" Evangeline froze, staring at him for a moment. ’He’s not Caden Albright?’

’Then again, a name doesn’t mean anything. Maybe he hated his past so much he changed it?’

Rhys Finch lowered his hand, his hollow eyes seemingly unfocused. "Thorncliff? A female who fell?"

His once soft, lingering voice turned cold, laced with a thread of disgust.

Kat’s heart dropped. He carefully tugged on Evangeline’s sleeve, warning her to be on her guard and not to stir up trouble.

Evangeline snapped back to her senses. Suppressing all emotion, she said calmly, "I should correct you. I didn’t fall from Thorncliff, I jumped. I came looking for a Beast Crystal. Chief of Wyndsong, that Five-star pattern Thunder Element Beast Crystal in your hand belongs to my Beast Husband. I was wondering if we could make a trade?"

Hearing this, Rhys Finch let out a soft chuckle. He crossed his arms, leaned down to stare at her, and said with a smirk, "Jumping off Thorncliff for your Beast Husband’s Beast Crystal? The little maiden, do you think I believe that? Besides, with an appearance like yours, why would a Beastman with a Five-star pattern Mutated Beast Crystal ever be willing to form a Contract with you?"

"Whether the Chief believes me is unimportant," she replied. "As long as the Beast Crystal is in your possession, we have room to negotiate."

"Herbs, food, Beast Cores... whatever you want, I can provide."

The cool evening breeze lifted Evangeline’s hair. Her expression was perfectly composed, her eyes filled with a steady calm.

Rhys Finch seemed taken aback for a second. Then he looked down at her, his gaze mocking. His voice, so pleasant it could make one’s ears tingle, was laced with chilling indifference. "Unfortunately, I lack for none of those things."

Evangeline didn’t lose heart. After a moment’s thought, she looked up at Rhys Finch. "What if I heal your face?"

’Seven Beast Husbands, and each one of them unlucky in his own way. But honestly, this one... Caden... no, Rhys Finch... he might be the easiest to heal.’

His Star Pattern wasn’t shattered, but because of his disfigurement, betrayal, and a host of other reasons, he had become a Fallen Beastman.

She couldn’t resolve his inner turmoil just yet, but healing his face? That was no problem at all.

"What did you say?" It was as if she’d touched a raw nerve. Rhys Finch’s hollow eyes locked onto her, and an oppressive, chilling aura emanated from him, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at a pile of dead things.

A cold sweat broke out on Kat’s back. He’d forgotten to tell the little maiden.

The Chief of the Wyndsong Tribe had an incredibly bizarre and twisted temperament.

He loathed it when others looked directly at him, and he despised anyone more handsome than himself. The problem was, you could pick almost any member of a Beastman Tribe at random, and they would be better looking than he was!

Therefore, any Beastman who wished to join the Wyndsong Tribe had only two paths available to them.

They could either destroy their own faces, catering to the chief’s preference for the disfigured, or they had to belong to a Beastman race that was naturally ugly. Only then could they successfully join the Wyndsong Tribe.

Over time, this became a well-known trait of the Wyndsong Tribe.

’The little maiden has truly broken a taboo!’

Kat was frantic with anxiety, but Evangeline just tilted her head and looked straight at Rhys Finch. "I am a Witch."

The moment she spoke, the surroundings fell silent. Then, the Beastmen began to murmur amongst themselves, their gazes on Evangeline filled with even more astonishment. They had all seen females, but a Witch? There had never been a Witch below Thorncliff.

"A Witch?" Rhys Finch’s expression faltered. He seemed to recall something, and a shadow fell over his features.

Evangeline’s eyelid twitched. She knew he must be thinking of the original owner’s Beast-mother, the Witch of the Oasis Tribe. Her ability was healing, a fact Rhys Finch would know.

Evangeline cleared her throat, interrupting Rhys Finch’s trip down memory lane. "That’s right. I’m a Witch, and I can heal you!"

Rhys Finch raised a hand, his long fingers brushing across his face as he sneered, "You can heal... this?"

"I can!" Evangeline’s reply was firm and resolute.

’The Jade Skin Shaping Cream has powerful restorative properties. It can penetrate the deepest layers of the skin, promote cell regeneration, and reshape the flesh. It’s incredibly potent, but... it’s not exactly a proper Elixir Pill. It’s a forbidden medicine.’

"Fine," Rhys Finch chuckled, the corners of his mouth curving into a gentle arc.

"I’ll give you this chance. But if you fail to satisfy me... little maiden, I’ll be taking that face of yours." Rhys Finch’s voice was quiet, but every word was deliberate, laced with a hidden threat.

After speaking, Rhys Finch gave Evangeline another careless glance and added with a distinct lack of interest, "Although, I must admit, a face like yours hardly inspires much excitement."

Hearing this, a fine sheen of cold sweat broke out on Kat’s forehead. His gaze toward Evangeline was filled with worry.