Since it wouldn't really harm her, Yuliana decided to help him—at least to fulfill the original girl's last wish.
"Yuval, let's become partners. We can take care of each other, okay?"
As she seriously said this and waited for his reply, Yuval looked at her quietly. His eyes held a trace of hope, but also hesitation and restraint.
"Yuli, don't tease me. I can't provide for you like this. Be good."
He lowered his head, looking dejected.
She understood what it felt like for someone strong to fall from grace. But no matter how much she explained, he wouldn't believe her.
In this world, a grown female couldn't survive alone without a male and children. And right now, if she wanted medical supplies, she had to rely on the system.
Rather than wasting words, she might as well prove herself through action—they each had something to offer the other.
She suddenly got a little nervous, not knowing where to begin.
Yuval cautiously moved back as she approached, his green eyes flickering, watching her every move.
The space between them closed in. Everything around them faded. Yuval stared at the girl who had liked him for so many years. Her pure black eyes held a deep attraction, like they could reach his heart.
A strange tension filled the air, slowly spreading. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was intentional, but Yuliana, acting without thinking, reached out and gently touched his lips with her cold, white fingers.
She could feel his nervousness and surprise.
"Silly, close your eyes," she whispered, then leaned in and kissed him.
It was just a soft kiss, but Yuval froze like he had been shocked.
After a moment, once he was sure of her feelings, he responded...
In the dim cellar, something quiet but intense passed between them.
...
They had already been locked up for six or seven days, and their energy was nearly gone. Yuliana felt like she could barely stay in her human form.
There was no food, and the cellar was getting colder. Even though she was stronger than the original Yuliana, she was reaching her limit.
Her beast form looked like a small, cute cat—snow white all over. The instincts of a cat made her react on their own.
She pawed at Yuval's hand with her soft pink pads, rubbing her fluffy head against it.
The warm touch made Yuliana narrow her eyes in comfort and begin to purr softly.
Yuval felt sorry for her and held her close as they both drifted off to sleep.
They slept straight through to the next day.
Once their punishment was over, the guards opened the cellar.
Yuliana supported the limping Yuval as they slowly walked out.
They were brought to the tribe leader's cave, where they apologized over and over again. In the end, they were allowed to attend the Autumn Mating Ceremony.
In the Lynx Tribe, this ceremony happened twice a year, during the spring and autumn mating seasons.
Usually, partners were decided before then, but during the ceremony, everything became official.
"Yuli, if a stronger male wants you, say yes. Don't worry about me. When I get stronger, I'll win you back."
Yuval looked at her with love and sadness.
"But they say I'm too weak to have children, and I can't raise strong cubs. Most families won't accept me."
Yuliana had the original girl's memories and could clearly feel her sense of failure.
In the beast continent, females were precious—they were the key to a tribe's future.
The Lynx Tribe had just over 3,000 members, and less than a third were female. Even then, only certain types were seen as beautiful—like calico or tortoiseshell fur patterns.
Survival in the wild made beastmen favor partners with fur colors that helped them hide.
Yuliana was pure white and thin, which made her seem weak and easy to die in the wild.
Any children she had might inherit those traits, so she wasn't popular.
Most of the tribe didn't like her.
"If that's true, then we only have each other! Don't worry, we'll support each other. No matter what happens, we'll face it together."
Yuval felt heartbroken seeing her look so upset.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and comforted her. "You're not what they say. I know how good you are. I…"
Yuliana quickly covered his mouth. She didn't want to hear anything cheesy.
"Let's go."
...
The mating ceremony was held on a large grassy field.
The Lynx Tribe lived in a small hill in the center of the Yuanzawa Forest. The event was grand.
Even the tribe's respected witch doctor came. It was said they could hear the Beast God's will.
All the eligible beastmen attended, except for a few who had committed serious crimes.
After the tribe leader spoke, the witch doctor began the ceremony.
She was a short old woman holding a bone staff, wearing a necklace of teeth, and her face was painted with red markings that faintly glowed with golden light. She looked mysterious and sacred.
The ceremony started.
All the females stood in a line, waiting for the males to choose them.
Normally, Yuval, being good-looking and strong, would have many excited girls pulling him into their group.
But now, he stood behind the unpopular Yuliana, and no one else came near.
They only had each other.
Maybe the others were just being practical. In this harsh world, no one wanted to starve.
A male who could hunt was what most families needed.
To avoid future trouble, females who couldn't give birth were sent to a hidden place in the tribe called the Beast God's Shelter.
It was said that the Beast God took care of them. They had food and water, and each year, the tribe would receive gifts like cloth and tools in return.
Only females with very low fertility were sent there, and once they entered, they never came back. They were expected to serve the Beast God for life.
The witch doctor said the Beast God took pity on them.
When it was Yuliana and Yuval's turn to be examined, the witch doctor paused and said nothing.
Yuliana could give birth, but being with a cripple and a sickly girl meant they couldn't hunt and would likely starve. Even if they had children, they would be a burden to the tribe.
The witch doctor told Yuval to choose a stronger female. He refused.
Only when she promised that Yuliana would be sent to receive the Beast God's will did he finally quiet down and agreed to wait for her return.
Yuliana wasn't sure what this so-called Beast God Shelter was supposed to be.
It all sounded ridiculous to her.
"Beast God's blessing? Please, I'm a proud modern woman. I don't believe in superstitions. I'd rather believe I'm the queen."
She rolled her eyes but kept quiet. In this world, she had no choice but to go along.