Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands
Chapter 127 --127.

Chapter 127: Chapter-127.

Kaya looked at him blankly, then slowly raised her palm toward him.

"Return it."

She beckoned with her fingers, eyes sharp.

Veer immediately leaned back, dodging her hand like a reflex. "Of course not. So cheap," he said, grinning as he stuffed the small piece into his mouth.

Normally, vultures preferred raw meat—fresh kill or dead, didn’t matter. And Veer wasn’t picky. He could rip through flesh without a second thought.

But this?

This dried fish actually tasted good. Salty, a little chewy, but oddly satisfying.

He chewed thoughtfully, then looked at Kaya with a raised brow. "Who made this?"

Kaya didn’t answer at first. Her eyes were locked on his hand that was casually reaching for another piece.

Her tone turned cold. "Take back that hand before I break it."

Veer froze for half a second... then pulled his hand back slowly with a playful grin. "So scary."

Kaya stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes with two quick swipes, and turned without another word. She walked off, calm and firm, like he wasn’t worth wasting another second on.

Behind her, Veer laughed loudly, tilting his head back. "come on, sweetheart!" he called after her, voice echoing in the quiet.

Kaya didn’t even look back.

After walking a little farther, Kaya realized Vayu was still quietly following her. She stopped, turned halfway, and said, "Go back. I just want a few minutes alone."

Vayu gave a short nod and stepped back, disappearing into the trees without a word.

Kaya kept walking, her thoughts drifting as she absentmindedly took another bite of the dried fish still in her hand. It was small, but it kept her mind off everything else.

But then she stopped.

Right in front of her was a huge tree—its wide trunk rooted deep, branches stretching high like arms. That wasn’t the problem.

The problem... was what was sleeping underneath it.

Her eyes widened.

Is that... a lion?

No, it was a lion. Huge. Slightly bigger than normal even. Its golden fur rose and fell with slow, deep breaths, completely at peace under the shade.

Kaya stared.

She couldn’t tell if it was a beastman in resting form or just a normal lion. Either way, it didn’t really matter. If it woke up and saw her standing there—alone, without Vayu or anyone nearby—she’d be done for.

But... it didn’t move.

Just kept sleeping like the world didn’t exist.

She blinked, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Then she remembered something random—something she’d read once.

Lions sleep 20 hours a day... right?

Maybe this one was deep in that schedule. It certainly looked lazy enough to match.

Still watching it carefully, Kaya took one small step forward. Then another. Just as she began to move past—

Her foot caught on a root.

She stumbled slightly, and in that moment, the dried fish in her hand slipped out and hit the ground with a soft plop right into the dirt.

Kaya stared at it.

There it was. Her food. Now lying in the dust.

She crouched down, picked it up, and looked at it in her hand. Ugh. She didn’t exactly have the appetite to eat something covered in soil. But she also didn’t like wasting food.

She glanced around.

If this were a street back home, there’d be a stray dog by now to toss this to.

But here? Nothing.

Her eyes wandered back to the lion.

It was still sleeping, unmoved, uncaring.

"...Fine," she muttered under her breath.

She crept forward cautiously, heart thudding as she got closer. The lion didn’t stir.

When she got near enough, she gently placed the dirty fish on the ground in front of it. It wasn’t much. In fact, for a lion, it wasn’t even a snack. But still, she left it there.

Without waiting another second, Kaya turned around and walked away quickly—her pace increasing the further she got.

She didn’t dare look back.

The lion’s ears twitched.

Slowly, he opened his golden eyes.

In front of him, he saw a girl running away. She looked small... thin. She didn’t look back. She just kept going until she disappeared into the trees.

The lion tilted his head, confused.

Then he noticed something near his paw.

A small piece of dried fish.

He looked at the food, then back at where the girl had run off.

He blinked slowly. The fish wasn’t much. It looked like she left it there on purpose.

The forest was quiet again.

The lion slowly sat up, still looking in the direction the girl had gone.

Then... just slightly, he smiled.

.

.

.

Morning came faster than Kaya expected.

The market was already alive and loud—just like the day before. Shopkeepers were shouting prices, people were haggling, and the whole place buzzed with energy, full of chatter and movement.

But there was one person who looked like the world was ending.

Kaya.

She sat on the edge of Rean’s stall, hunched forward, her face buried in one hand, her expression grim and drained.

Rean, sitting next to her with his usual relaxed posture, glanced at her and said, "Stop looking like you just lost your whole family."

Kaya coughed, not answering.

Behind her, the soft sounds of children stirring could be heard. Some were waking up, some still restless in sleep.

The twelve men she had saved yesterday? Most of them were already up. Except for the lazy snake and the tiny bunny—they were still sleeping soundly. Especially the bunny, who for once wasn’t bouncing around. Peaceful, for now.

But Kaya?

Her head felt like it was about to explode.

She had just finished doing some rough calculations in her mind—and they made her feel sick.

If she wanted these people to work for her, she had to take care of them too.

Which meant... food. Clothes. A roof over their heads.

All twelve of them.

She’d need to build a house. Or multiple. She’d need to feed them, clothe them, keep them alive. And right now?

She didn’t even have enough money to waste on herself.