To cure my half-sister's illness, my brother took my beast bone—all because I was a half-beast and had a strong self-healing ability.

Later, to make me suffer in her place, the tiger beast servant I had cared for joined forces with my brother and sent me straight into the Beast Den.

The tiger said I didn't deserve to be his master, and the one he wanted to protect was my sister.

In the end, I was tortured and died a terrible death.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day I had to choose my beast servant.

The Beast King had made an agreement with the humans—every so often, they'd send a group of beastmen, each with different skills, for the humans to choose from as servants.

In my last life, I had carefully picked a tiger beastman. But when my brother threw me into the Beast Den, that tiger didn't even try to save me. He just stood by and watched me die, all because I was a half-beast born of a beast and a human, a disgrace in his eyes.

He told me I wasn't worthy to be his master. I didn't realize it then, but the one he'd always wanted to protect was my half-sister, Maisie Roffe.

And now here I was, back on the day we were choosing our beast servants.

"Come on, Claudia. Hurry up and pick one!"

Maisie's sugary voice was sharp as a needle in my ear.

I shut my eyes for a second and forced those bloody memories out of my mind.

"What's the rush? Choosing a beast servant is serious business. You can't just do it on a whim," I replied coldly, my eyes scanning the line of beastmen in front of me.

Blair, the tiger that had abandoned me in my past life, stood among them, looking tall and muscular. The moment our eyes met, he quickly looked away.

I knew what that meant. He was scared I'd choose him again. In my past life, I had thought he was just shy.

I gave a bitter smile and looked away, my gaze landing on a scruffy gray fox crouched in the corner.

He was skinny and dirty, with tangled fur, nothing like the fierce, majestic beastmen beside him. Honestly, he looked pathetic.

But for some reason, seeing him like that made me think of myself from the last life.

"This one," I said firmly, pointing at the gray fox.

"What?" Maisie gasped. "Are you serious? That one? What's it even good for?"

"My choice isn't your concern," I snapped before she could say more and walked straight over to the gray fox.

He lifted his head, his cloudy eyes full of fear and unease.

I crouched down and reached out, gently stroking his head.

"Don't be scared. From now on, we're partners."

Maisie picked Blair—huge, powerful, and intimidating.

She excitedly stroked his fur and showed him off to me. "Look! Isn't he amazing?"

"If you like it, that's all that matters," I replied calmly. My voice didn't show the slightest emotion.

Blair finally got what he wanted.

Maisie was my half-sister, born of a different father. Unlike me, she was adored and cherished by everyone.

Even my brother, Justin Roffe—who shared both my parents—treated her like a treasure. Although he was also the son of a beastman, he had inherited everything from our human mother, so he looked and lived as a normal human.

He hated our father and me. He saw both of us as a disgrace. And he spoiled Maisie endlessly.

In my past life, after Maisie accidentally killed the Beast King's son, Justin drugged me and sent me into the Beast Den to take the blame, just to protect her and keep the peace.

The Beast Den was pure hell on Earth.

I had been torn apart by countless vicious beastmen. They bit into me, devoured me. My eyes were gouged out and eaten, and my tongue was sliced off. By the time I died, there wasn't a single patch of skin left untouched.

The night before I was sent to the Beast Den, I begged Blair to help me escape. But he went against my orders.

He said, "You're no longer my master. Mr. Roffe already used a secret spell to break our contract. Your life or death has nothing to do with me."

And when I tried to run, he blocked my way. He ignored my desperate pleas and shoved me into the Beast Den himself. His last words to me were, "You're a half-beast. You won't die."

But there was something he didn't know: Justin had ripped away the beast bone that carried my powers as a half-beast and given it to Maisie.

Right now, I was even weaker than a human.

"What's wrong, Claudia? You look so pale," Maisie said gently, but the cold smirk tugging at her lips didn't escape my eyes.

"It's none of your business." I took a deep breath, forcing down the flood of hatred rising inside me.

"Why are you being so rude? We're sisters." She pretended to look hurt, but her tone dripped with calculation.

"If you really see me as your sister, then give back what's mine."

With that, I turned and walked away without a second glance.

Not long after I got back to my room, Justin stormed in and slammed the door open, his face twisted in fury.

"Claudia! Who the hell do you think you are, talking to your sister like that?"

I stared at him coldly. In my previous life, this was the same brother who had thrown me into the Beast Den to save Maisie. And in this life, he was still just as disgusting.

"What? Did I say something wrong? Maisie doesn't even deserve to be my sister."

"You little…" Justin's face turned red. He stepped toward me and raised his hand to strike.

I didn't flinch and looked straight at him, my eyes as sharp as knives.

His hand froze in mid-air. In the end, it never came down.

"You're just like your damned beastman father, so vulgar and savage."

I let out a cold laugh. "Aren't you his child, too?"

I had heard that insult so many times. But even in this second life, being rejected so harshly by my brother still made my heart ache.

Justin got even angrier at my question. "Guards! Lock her up!"

"Why not just kill me? That way, no one would know what you and Maisie have done."

His expression shifted, and his eyes darted away. I'd hit a nerve.

"What are you talking about? I'm just giving you time to reflect!"

"Reflect? What exactly should I reflect on? That I was born to a beastman father? Or that I dared to ask Maisie for what's rightfully mine?"

I stepped toward him, my voice icy.

In a flash, Justin slapped me hard across the face. I was already weak, and the force of it knocked me to the floor.

Dusty had been napping on the bed. Hearing the noise, he jumped down and tried to bite Justin's hand.

But how could a small fox take on a grown man? With one blow, Justin sent him flying across the room. Dusty hit the floor hard and let out a weak cry.

"Dusty!"

My heart dropped. He was still so fragile; there was no way he could take a hit like that.

Justin stepped on my hand as I tried to crawl toward Dusty. Looking down at me with cold disdain, he spat, "As long as you behave, I'll let you and that thing live. But if you ever upset Maisie again, I'll kill him myself."

Ten days later, they finally let me out, and I noticed right away that Dusty was gone.

I searched the entire courtyard, calling out for him, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

He never wandered off on his own.

A sinking feeling settled in my chest. Something was wrong.

Then, behind a rock formation, I spotted a small gray figure.

"Dusty!"

He was lying on the ground, covered in wounds and barely breathing. His body felt cold to the touch. I tried pouring my spiritual energy into him, desperate to save him, but it was like trying to fill a bottomless pit.

No matter how hard I tried, it didn't work.

Dusty died in my arms. His little body stiffened slowly as the warmth faded away.

I buried him under the magnolia tree in the yard, the spot where he used to love playing the most.

I closed my eyes, and memories came flooding back—Dusty curled up in my lap, warming my feet… The way he would turn his head in a huff when he got mad…

The pain in my chest felt like something had been torn apart. Eyes burning, I gripped my sword tightly.

I swore Maisie would pay for this.

I kicked open the door and found Maisie laughing with a maid, completely unaware of the storm about to hit her.

"I heard your little gray fox died," she said with a smirk. "He was so weak. I barely played with him, and—"

Smack!

I slapped her across the face before she could finish that vile sentence.

"What…" Maisie clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief.

"You think you even deserve to say his name?" I shot her a cold glare, a murderous aura emanating off of me.

I raised my sword and pointed it straight at her throat.

"Stop!"

A voice rang out behind me before Blair came lunging at me.

In a blur of swordlight and thunderous roars, we clashed. I twisted to dodge his attack and punched him hard in the gut.

With a loud thud, Blair was sent flying and slammed into a tree.

Even though pain burned through my body, I forced myself to move forward, step by step.

Blair tried to get up but collapsed again, looking up at me with wide, pitiful eyes, his face full of confusion and hurt.

For a second, it felt like I was in another lifetime. Memories of our past flickered through my mind.

But I shook them off.

I raised my sword, ready to strike the final blow.

"What are you doing?!"

That familiar voice made me pause.

I turned and saw Justin rushing over with a group of guards behind him.

"Justin!" Maisie cried, throwing herself into his arms like she'd just been saved from death itself.

The second Justin saw her face, his expression darkened.

He looked at Blair and asked, "What happened?"

Blair glanced at me weakly, then lowered his head without saying a word.

Justin's eyes flared with anger as he turned back to me, his voice ice-cold.

"You hurt Maisie?"

I let out a bitter laugh and pointed at Maisie. "She killed Dusty. I'm just returning the favor."

Justin stared at me for a long moment, and then he turned and carried Maisie away without another word.

Back in my room, I treated my wounds and sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate.

I had to grow stronger—strong enough to protect myself and take revenge.

It was late, and the night was silent. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked cautiously.

"It's me." Blair's voice came from outside.

I opened the door and looked at him coldly. "What do you want?"

He didn't answer. He just stood there, looking at me, his eyes full of emotions I couldn't read.