"From now on, we’ll always live under the sea and never set foot on this damn land again."
He promised softly.
Selene’s heart had long been screaming to the point of tearing wide open.
"No! Who wants to live underwater! I can’t swim, and I have to soak in seawater every day? And keep company with fish and shrimp? And listen to you recite Sea-kin rules? No, no, absolutely not!"
She was already imagining herself turning into a salted fish in her mind.
But in reality, she didn’t even have the strength to argue.
Pain washed over her like waves, utterly drowning her.
She could only weakly rest her head in Zane’s embrace.
To stop herself from screaming out loud, she bit her lower lip hard.
Her lips had long been bitten pale, even oozing tiny drops of blood.
This image fell into Cale’s eyes, yet seemed to him to be a silent acquiescence to some promise.
Acquiescence to following Zane, to leaving the land, to abandoning everything, even...
To abandoning him.
His pupils suddenly contracted.
Next, the eye that had retained rationality swiftly turned a glaring blood-red.
The surrounding air suddenly froze, even the wind seemed to stop.
Before anyone else could react, he suddenly charged forward.
In the instant before Zane could defend himself, he harshly yanked Selene away.
The force was so great that Selene completely lost her balance, passively falling into Cale’s embrace.
Without a moment’s pause, Cale held her and, with several swift leaps, they disappeared from everyone’s view.
Zane wanted to chase after them.
But as soon as he took a step, a command from Kate made several guards quickly block his way, holding long spears, with solemn expressions.
"I’m sorry, Zane."
Kate stood still, her gaze complicated as she looked in the direction where Cale had disappeared.
"I don’t know what past there is between you, but now, Selene and Cale are legally married."
"Their entanglement is not something outsiders should interfere with."
She paused, lowering her voice.
"And... they certainly don’t want anyone to disturb them."
Actually, Kate was very clear in her heart.
She hoped more that Cale could spend some time alone with the Female Master.
Which of those Beast Clan fathers in The Royal Palace didn’t exhaust their minds to attract the Mother Empress’ attention?
Which of them didn’t strain their minds to compete for a touch of affection?
Compared to Zane, she preferred seeing Cale’s relationship with the Female Master deepen.
After all, Cale was a royal-approved Admiral and one of the legitimate heirs.
She hoped to see stability, to see order.
Cale ran with Selene all the way, through the desolate garden, past the abandoned tower, finally reaching the most secluded corner of The Royal Palace.
It was the backyard of an old book storage pavilion that had been abandoned for many years.
Overgrown with weeds, vines entwined, few people ever set foot there.
When Selene thought she was in trouble.
He suddenly stopped.
He leaned against the wall and gently set her down, his movements cautious.
But just as her feet touched the ground.
His body suddenly started to tremble violently.
The trembles intensified, even his bones emitted a slight "crack" sound.
Selene leaned against the wall, enduring the severe pain in her arm, warily staring at the male in front of her, her eyes unblinking.
Even though she knew Cale wasn’t an enemy, in this out-of-control state.
No one could predict what a Beastman might do when mentally collapsed.
The gunshot wound on her right arm was still seeping blood, with beads of blood dripping onto the ground from her fingertips.
The wound burned painfully, but she could only use her left hand to press tightly on the wound.
Using all her strength to press on the bleeding point, trying to slow down the blood loss.
Cold sweat slid down her temple, she gritted her teeth, not daring to make a sound.
Cale fell to the ground, his knees thumping heavily, making a muffled sound.
His hands tightly held his head, teeth grinding, as if maintaining the last thread of consciousness through intense pain.
But ultimately, that animal nature still took over.
He curled up painfully, his body twitching violently, finally unable to maintain human form.
Amidst this life-and-death tension.
Selene unexpectedly still had the mind to quietly converse with the system in her head.
"Do you say... what kind of Beastman is he? Tiger? Lion? Or some other beast?"
Her mind rapidly spun, quickly listing several possibilities.
The Tiger Clan was known for strength, the Lion Clan controlled lightning, the Bear Clan had invincible defense...
But Cale usually acted steadily and struck with precision, not like a typical beast type.
"In the end... it’s none of these."
The system’s voice was indifferent and certain.
She froze, her gaze falling back on Cale, then widened her eyes, completely stunned.
Where was the majesty of a Commander in front of her?
There was clearly a fluffy, soft little kitten.
Even more absurdly, this kitten was making a "purring" sound.
Cale’s true form was actually a soft little kitty!
Her mind went blank.
At first, when those fuzzy sharp ears popped out from his temple, she thought it was a characteristic of the White Tiger Clan.
After all, among pure white Beastmen, the White Tiger was most rare and precious.
But when that fluffy long tail suddenly flicked out, she felt something was off.
How could a White Tiger’s tail be so slender and soft?
Also with milky white fluff?
Generally speaking, the stronger the spiritual power of a Beastman, the larger their original form.
For instance, Duke Osborne, it’s said his transformation reaches nearly ten meters high, standing like a small mountain, just his presence can make an entire corps kneel in trembling.
And Heath Langdon’s clan, although butterfly-shaped, individual entities are tiny.
But once collectively transformed, it blankets the sky, even can raise a typhoon with a ten-grade storm.
Heath himself, after transforming, is considered "miniature," barely palm-sized, yet in front of Cale...
He appeared tall?
Selene couldn’t help but burst out laughing, her mouth curling uncontrollably upward.
Her guard already gone, she dragged her injured arm, regardless of pain, moved closer, squatting down, squinting at the little kitten.
"Psss-psss-psss, come, sweet kitty, let sister take a look at you."
She extended her uninjured hand, lightly touching the kitten’s head.
"Hahaha, no wonder the files never mentioned Cale’s original form, who could think that such a majestic, decisive Commander would secretly be a soft little kitten?"
The kitten blinked.
Those originally deep red eyes now rolled round and round.
It tilted its little head, curiously peering at her, its ears slightly leaning forward.
That gaze was both bewildered and pure, defenseless, making Selene’s heart give a gentle shiver.
"Little kitty, come to sister here."
She coaxed softly.
"Meow~" he softly responded.
Then lightly leapt onto her.
Selene’s face was pale, almost transparent, with fine cold sweat beading her temple.
But she still tried to tug at her mouth corners, smiling with difficulty.
"Little kitty, do you still remember what you’re supposed to do?"