Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands
Chapter 117 --117

Chapter 117: Chapter-117

He looked into her eyes—and the light in them had changed.

Gone was the gentle traveler’s gaze.

In its place: sharp glass. Calm ice.

He swallowed, throat suddenly dry. What the hell? Wasn’t this woman just soft and polite a moment ago?

Why did her smile feel like a blade behind her lips now?

She’s not beautiful. That’s what he thought before.

But now, sitting like this...

She looked like something that owned the space around her.

That smile. That stillness. Like a lioness in no rush to kill, simply waiting for the wind to quiet.

Trying to recover, the shopkeeper smiled awkwardly, waving a hand toward the hide. "Ah—this one’s... this one’s really precious."

Kaya didn’t blink.

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head again. "Then answer me something."

She leaned in slightly, her voice a quiet murmur meant only for him.

"How many crystals do you want for this?"

The shopkeeper smiled, thinking he had won.

He was sure Kaya was just going to buy the hide. Of course she would. In his mind, females were easy to fool. He relaxed a little, letting a smug grin spread across his face.

"Actually—" he began, ready to raise the price again.

But then he caught a proper look at Kaya’s face.

She was still smiling.

But something about that smile... it wasn’t right.

There was no warmth in it. Just silence.

And her eyes—tired, cold, sharp.

The smile on his face faltered. His confidence cracked a little.

Something deep inside him whispered that he’d made a mistake.

He tried to recover. "Actually, you know... it’s really a precious thing," he said quickly, voice a bit shaky now.

Kaya looked at him and said calmly, "Oh?"

"So," Kaya asked casually, "how many crystals do you want?"

The shopkeeper—froze for a second.

Then he swallowed hard and slowly raised one finger.

"O-One white crystal," he said, voice a little unsure. "And I’ll sell all of these to you."

Kaya didn’t react right away.

She just looked at him—from head to toe—calm and unreadable.

Then said softly, "Hmm. One crystal."

That’s all.

No expression changed on her face.

No clear yes.

No clear no.

Just that simple line... and that same quiet smile.

Kaya looked at him, her eyes calm but steady.

"Want another deal?" she asked. "Much better than this."

Her voice was soft, but it made the shopkeeper pause.

The nervous energy in him froze for a moment. He blinked. _{fre ewebno(v)e\l.(c)om}

"These?" he asked, glancing down at the hides, confusion flickering in his eyes.

Kaya opened her mouth to reply—but then paused.

Her gaze shifted.

She looked around.

catching movement behind the shopkeeper.

A few more beastmen were watching now. One stood out—tall, muscled, with ram-like horns curling from his head and a heavy axe strapped to his back. Beside him, a leaner figure with pale skin and slit-like pupils—a snake beastman—stood with arms crossed, his gaze cold and unblinking, fixed directly on the fox-eared shopkeeper.

Kaya smiled, as if completely unaware of the tension forming in the air.

She looked at the vendor and said sweetly, "How about this—you help me choose some clothes, hmm?"

Then she gestured casually to the back of the stall, where a thin piece of animal hide hung loosely from above, acting as a makeshift changing curtain.

The shopkeeper froze. His ears twitched.

He really didn’t want to go back there. Something in his instincts told him this wasn’t about trying on clothes.

But then—he glanced behind Kaya.

The robust rabbit beastman took one step forward, and the snake beside him narrowed his eyes further, lips parting just slightly to reveal sharp, venom-tinted fangs.

The weight of their combined stares pressed onto the fox’s spine like a physical force.

And it wasn’t just them.

He felt it—an unspoken pressure hanging in the air. Like someone—or something—else nearby was also watching. Not moving. Just waiting.

So... he nodded.

With a weak chuckle and a forced grin, he gestured toward the curtain. "A-alright, this way."

The moment they stepped behind the hide curtain, the shopkeeper’s voice rose in a panicked whisper.

"Are you for real?"

He covered his mouth immediately, glancing around, then looked at Kaya with wide eyes.

"You’re saying—you’re really serious about that? I mean... like... what you said just now. That deal. You’re being serious?"

Kaya, calm as ever, adjusted the edge of a folded hide she carried and met his gaze without flinching.

"It’s your deal," she said plainly. "If you want to exchange your white crystal stone for my salt, then it’s fine by me."

She tilted her head slightly.

"If not... I’m sure someone else would love to take that offer. And maybe I’ll throw in a few rare herbs too. You’re not the only seller here."

The shopkeeper’s face twisted.

Salt. In this region?

That wasn’t just a trade. That was leverage. Salt was rare here—especially clean, mountain-refined salt. It could preserve food for weeks, cure hides faster, even be used in rituals.

And here she was... offering it like she was just casually bartering fruit.

He swallowed again, sweat trailing down his back.

Kaya tilted her head and said quietly, "See it as a deal. Now tell me... how much would you give in exchange for this?"

As she spoke, she slowly pulled out a small wrap—nothing flashy, just a simple leaf packet tied neatly with thin twine.

The shopkeeper squinted at it, confused at first.

Kaya was thankful for one thing—thank God they had packed smart.

The salt wasn’t just thrown in their baskets. They had already divided it into small leaf packets, each around 100 grams. It didn’t look like much. That was the point.

No one could tell how much they really had.

In truth, the rest of it wasn’t even here.

The bulk—neatly wrapped and hidden—was stored about one or two kilometers away in a nearby cave. Dug in and buried. Covered carefully. The sparrow was keeping watch.

What they carried on their backs now were just a few samples—mixed among other things. Nothing to draw attention.