Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands

Chapter 477: Chapter-477

"You fell out of it. Twice."

"That was—" Kaya cut herself off, realizing she was being baited. "Fine. Move over."

She removed her boots and rolled up her pants, then waded into the creek beside Veer. The water was shockingly cold, making her feet go numb almost immediately.

The fish scattered at her approach, disturbed by the new presence.

"Stand still," Veer instructed. "Let them come back. They’re curious creatures. They’ll investigate you."

Kaya stood as still as she could, trying to ignore the cold, the discomfort, the way the current tugged at her legs.

Slowly, gradually, the fish began to return. They darted closer, investigating her feet, swimming between her ankles.

"Now," Veer murmured. "Fast. Don’t think."

Kaya struck.

Her hands plunged into the water, closing around—

Nothing.

The fish scattered in all directions, too fast for her human reflexes.

"Again," Veer said. "You were too slow. You have to commit. Full speed, no hesitation."

---

It took Kaya seven attempts before she finally caught her first fish.

It was smaller than Veer’s catches, and she nearly lost it when it thrashed in her grip, but she managed to throw it onto the bank before it could escape.

"There!" she said, slightly breathless with the effort and the unexpected triumph. "I got one!"

"Only took you eight tries," Veer said, but he was smiling.

"Seven," Kaya corrected.

"I counted eight."

"You counted wrong."

Cutie, who had been watching from the bank, laughed. "You both look ridiculous. Two grown adults standing in a creek arguing about numbers while freezing to death."

"You want to try?" Kaya called back.

"I’m good, thanks. I’ll just gather the berries Veer mentioned."

"Traitor," Kaya muttered, but without real heat.

She positioned herself again, waiting for the fish to return. Now that she’d succeeded once, she had a better sense of the timing, the commitment required.

The next attempt, she caught two fish at once, one in each hand.

"Show off," Veer commented.

"Just efficient."

They continued fishing in companionable silence, the morning sun gradually warming the air around them. It was peaceful in a way Kaya hadn’t experienced since arriving in this world. No immediate danger. No running. Just the simple, primal activity of hunting for food.

After about thirty minutes, they had a respectable pile of fish on the bank—at least a dozen, enough for a solid meal and maybe some left over.

Kaya waded out of the creek, her feet completely numb now, her pants soaked to the knees.

"Now comes the fun part," Veer said, following her out. "Cleaning them."

"I know how to clean fish."

"Do you know how to clean ’these’ fish? They have a venom gland near the spine. If you rupture it while cleaning, the meat becomes inedible."

Kaya looked at the pile of innocent-looking fish. "Of course they have venom glands. Why wouldn’t they?"

"Because this world is trying to kill you," Veer said cheerfully. "Here, watch. I’ll show you."

---

By the time Cutie returned with a cloth full of berries—small, dark purple things that looked vaguely like blueberries—they had a fire going and fish cooking on improvised skewers.

The smell was incredible. Rich, smoky, with herbs Veer had found growing near the creek.

Kaya’s stomach growled so loudly that both beastmen looked at her.

"What?" she said defensively. "I’m hungry."

"We noticed," Veer said dryly.

They ate in silence, too hungry and too focused on the food to bother with conversation. The fish was delicious—flaky, perfectly cooked, with a subtle flavor enhanced by the herbs. The berries were tart and sweet, a perfect complement.

It was the best meal Kaya had eaten since arriving in this world.

When they’d eaten their fill—and stored some leftover fish for later—they sat around the small fire, warming themselves, letting the food settle.

Kaya felt almost human again. Fed, rested enough to function, clean from washing in the creek.

It wouldn’t last. She knew that. The hunters were still out there. The questions still needed answering. The danger hadn’t disappeared.

But for this moment, in this small clearing by the creek, with the sun warming her face and food in her belly, things felt manageable.

"Alright," she said finally, breaking the comfortable silence. "We need to make a plan."

Veer nodded, his expression becoming more serious. "Agreed."

"We have three immediate problems," Kaya continued, ticking them off on her fingers. "First: we don’t know who’s hunting us or why. Second: we’re in unfamiliar territory with limited resources. Third: Veer needs at least a few more days before he can fly properly, which limits our mobility."

"And the long-term problem," Cutie added quietly, "is that you want to find a way home."

Kaya glanced at him. "Yes. But that’s... that’s a separate issue. Right now, we focus on survival."

"So what’s the plan?" Veer asked.

Kaya was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"We need information," she said finally. "We can’t keep running blind. We need to know who hired those hunters, why they want me, and what I supposedly am that makes me worth this much effort."

"How do we get that information?"

"We find someone who knows. Someone connected to the beast tribes, to the trading networks, to the information flow."

"You mean a spy," Veer said.

"I mean an information broker. Every society has them. People who trade in secrets, in knowledge."

"The closest one would be in the border town," Veer said slowly. "Three days’ walk east of here. It’s neutral territory—multiple tribes trade there, exchange goods and information. If anyone knows what’s happening, it would be the brokers there."

"Three days," Kaya repeated. "Can we make it that long without being found?"

"If we’re careful. If we avoid the main paths, stick to the dense forest."

Kaya nodded slowly. "Then that’s what we do. We rest here for another day, let Veer heal more, gather supplies. Then we move east, toward this border town."

"And if we get there and the information is bad?" Cutie asked. "If we find out something we don’t want to know?"

Kaya met his gaze steadily. "Then we deal with it. Whatever it is. Because I’m done running without knowing why."

She looked at both of them. "I’m not ordering you to come with me. This is my problem. You can both leave, find somewhere safe—"

"No," Veer interrupted flatly.

"I wasn’t finished—"

"Don’t care. The answer is no. We’ve had this conversation. We’re staying."

Cutie nodded in agreement. "What he said."

Kaya felt that uncomfortable warmth in her chest again. The feeling she didn’t want to examine too closely.

"You’re both idiots," she said, but her voice was softer than the words.

"Established fact," Veer agreed. "Now, are we going to sit here debating our collective stupidity, or are we going to use today to actually prepare for a three-day trek through dangerous territory?"

Kaya smiled despite herself. "Prepare. Definitely prepare."

"Good. Then let’s start with—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his head snapping to the left, his entire body going tense.

Cutie froze as well, his ears perking up.

"What?" Kaya whispered, her hand already moving to her knife.

"Someone’s coming," Veer said quietly. "From the south. Moving fast. Not trying to hide."

Kaya’s mind raced. Friend or foe? Hunter or random traveler?

"How many?"

"One. I think. It’s hard to tell."