Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands-Chapter 205 --

Kaya froze at his words.

Veer noticed. His smile thinned, then disappeared entirely. Without another word, he stood, stretching lazily, the quiet creak of his joints breaking the moment.

"Well, story’s over. I’m going to check on the food," he said, and walked off, his steps unhurried, almost careless.

She didn’t move. Not even when the sound of his footsteps faded.

After a long breath, she reached for the diary, slipped it into her bag, and sat down on the soft grass. Her hand cradled her forehead, but it wasn’t the weight of the day pressing on her—it was herself.

She’d never been like this.

Back in her world, she had risen fast—too fast for some people’s liking. She had seen every kind of man: the ones who wanted her as a wife, the ones who wanted her as a mistress, the ones who wanted her in ways they never dared say out loud. They had tried to impress her, pressure her, even humiliate themselves to cling to her. But through it all, she had been untouchable. Unmoved.

And yet, here... in this world... her armor was cracking.

Her pulse betrayed her whenever Cutie flashed that innocent grin. And now Veer—damn him—was slipping under her skin too. The way his gaze lingered, the easy danger in his smile, the quiet certainty in his voice... it stirred something hot and restless inside her.

Was she losing her mind? Becoming some shameless, desperate vixen who couldn’t go a day without the brush of a man’s attention?

.

.

.

Kaya had only planned to stay in the tribe for a day or two, but plans changed. In the end, they decided to remain for a week. Most of her work was already done, so it felt like a good time to rest.

She kept herself occupied—running through her boxing drills, practicing karate, keeping up with her yoga, and even lending a hand to the tribe’s women when they needed it. But one problem kept circling in her mind.

Shooting.

Her supply of bullets was too small to waste on target practice. Still, if she didn’t train, her aim could falter. A steady hand was the difference between walking away and not walking at all.

Her knife was her only other weapon, but it was short—barely useful in a real fight. Against beastmen, who were bigger, faster, and stronger than most humans she’d ever met, it was almost laughable to think it would be enough.

She remembered the bamboo gun she’d once made, but that had its own flaws. Every shot meant carving a new bullet, and with her knife already losing its edge, that process was becoming slow and frustrating. Besides, she never liked the feel of it—it was clumsy in her grip, almost like wielding a toy.

She needed something else.

Something she could rely on.

A weapon that wasn’t bound by the limits of bullets, that could face a beastman head-on without breaking in her hands.

Suddenly, a voice called out behind her.

"Kaya!"

She turned to see Maria approaching—a slim young woman who looked like she could still be in her teens, though Kaya knew she was around twenty-three. Maria’s expression was bright but a little nervous, as if she were interrupting something important.

"Yes, Maria?" Kaya asked with a small smile.

"Um... actually, Tara’s looking for you."

Kaya nodded, dusting her hands off before following Maria outside.

Waiting there was Tara, standing with several others. The group had split naturally into two—men on one side, women on the other. Tara’s face lit up when she spotted her.

"Ah, Miss Kaya," he greeted warmly, stepping forward with his hand extended.

Kaya returned the handshake, her lips curling into a polite smile.

"I’m sorry to disturb you," Tara began, "but... we could really use your help."

Kaya shook her head lightly. "No need to apologize, Mr. Tara. What is it?"

"Well," he said, glancing toward the others, "we’re heading out for a hunt. Some of the women will also be gathering herbs, medicines, fruits—things we’ll need later. So we thought... if you’d like, maybe you could join us? You know, the more the merrier."

Kaya paused for a moment, weighing the idea. A small hunt and foraging trip could be the perfect chance to study the tribe’s weapons—and maybe even find something she could adapt for herself.

She nodded. "Yeah, of course."

The group had already split—men preparing their spears and bows for the hunt, while the women readied baskets and sacks for gathering herbs, fruits, and whatever else they could find.

Kaya naturally fell in with the women’s group. One of them handed her a small woven basket and pointed toward a patch of greenery by the tree line.

"We’re collecting these herbs," she explained. "They’re good for treating fevers."

Kaya crouched beside them, running her fingers over the soft leaves. The faint, sharp scent rose to her nose—earthy, almost peppery. She began picking alongside them, listening quietly as they pointed out which plants were good for medicine and which ones to avoid.

It wasn’t hard work, but Kaya found herself strangely absorbed in it. Still, her mind kept wandering—not to the plants in her hand, but to the weapons the hunters carried. The smooth curve of their bows, the balance of their spears... all things she might be able to learn from.

While gathering herbs, Kaya’s gaze kept drifting toward the hunters’ gear. She noticed something odd about their arrows. Instead of the usual design she’d seen in old-world illustrations—sharp stones tied at the tip—these were carved entirely from wood, their points just whittled down to a hardened tip.

She frowned, curiosity gnawing at her. Finally, she turned to Maria, who was crouched nearby pulling leaves from a low bush.

"Maria," Kaya asked with a slight tilt of her head, "why don’t your arrows have anything sharp at the front? How are you supposed to hunt with those?"

Maria blinked at her, then burst into laughter. "Miss Kaya, are you joking? Who hunts with a bow?"

Kaya raised an eyebrow. "Then why carry them at all?"