Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands-Chapter 278 --.

Dozens of people stood there, watching. Their faces calm, their expressions unreadable, like masks carved from stone. Not a single one spoke. Not even a whisper.

Kaya blinked, almost doubting if they were truly alive, until her gaze caught the small, rounded ears perched on their heads—beastmen. Definitely beastmen.

But what kind of beastmen lived like this? No growls, no chatter, no life in their voices—just silent nods to one another, as though words themselves had been forbidden.

When their eyes slid to her, cold and assessing, they didn’t bow, didn’t greet. They simply nodded once and then turned back to staring at each other.

Kaya felt her skin prickle. She had seen war camps, raging beasts, and even Veer’s father’s predator eyes—but this silence? This silence was worse.

Kaya’s eyes snapped to Veer, her thoughts racing dark and fast. These people were too quiet, too watchful. The unease crawling up her spine made her glare harder at him.

Before she could spit it out, Veer turned, his face sharp with irritation.

"Don’t," he snapped. "Don’t even think it. I’m not here to sell you, so drop whatever twisted story you’re cooking in your head."

Kaya froze, stunned that he’d nailed her thoughts so precisely. She narrowed her eyes, suspicion sharpening.

"Then what are we doing here?" she asked, her voice low and wary. "And what are these people?"

Veer let out a long, frustrated breath, raking his hand through his damp hair. His eyes flickered toward the silent villagers, then back to her.

"Capybaras," he muttered.

Kaya blinked.

"...Capy...what?" she repeated, the word tumbling awkwardly out of her mouth. For a second, it sounded like a bad joke. "Are you serious right now? Capybaras? Like... oversized rats with teeth?"

He looked at Kaya, his voice taking on a strange, almost incredulous tone.

"Wait... don’t people like Capybaras? I mean, he’s the most beloved beastman of them all. No one dares to mess with him. And you—" his brows furrowed, "—you don’t even know who he is?"

Kaya just blinked at him.

Sure, she’d heard the word before—Capybara—through movies or random stories. But she had never actually seen one, not even on TV. Discovery Channel had never been her thing. The only impression she carried was vague: that Capybaras were supposed to be incredibly lazy creatures, only interested in eating, lounging around, and staring blankly at everything.

Kaya shook her head, staring at him with that sharp, cold look that could make anyone think twice. She tilted her head slightly, making sure Veer wouldn’t guess she really had no idea about Capybaras.

"Of course I know what a Capybara is," she said, her voice steady, almost casual, "and it’s really not that big of a deal. I just want to know why the hell we’re here."

Veer smirked, then suddenly reached out and tapped her forehead with a finger, lightly but deliberately. Kaya’s eyes flashed with irritation, and she opened her mouth to snap back, but Veer held up a hand.

"Of course we’re here because we can stay here tonight," he said, walking toward one of the silent Capybaras as if it were completely normal.

Kaya blinked at him.

"What?"

"They’re the only creatures around here that won’t make our lives miserable," Veer said matter-of-factly. "And anyway, I’m taking a two-day rest, then we fly again."

Veer stretched his arms and casually walked into one of the huts, moving as if he owned the place. Kaya stayed outside for a moment, watching him disappear into the small doorway. She turned her gaze around at the silent crowd, the strange beastmen just staring at one another without a single word. She pressed her hand to her forehead, a mixture of frustration and disbelief washing over her.

After a long pause, she finally shook her head and followed Veer inside, stepping into the hut cautiously.

When Kaya stepped into the hut, she immediately noticed how small it was—more like a single room squeezed into a storage space than an actual house. Even if it were bigger, it wouldn’t have mattered; the space felt bare and empty. There was no bed, no table, nothing you’d expect in a normal room. The only things inside were a straw mat, some scattered food items—meat, wild fruits—and a few hides thrown carelessly in the corner. That was it. Nothing more. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Veer had collapsed onto the ground, and within moments, his even breathing turned into soft snoring. Kaya watched him for a brief moment and decided he must be utterly exhausted. Quietly, she laid her back down beside him for a second, then slipped outside.

Outside, the calves were moving about, but not in the usual noisy, chaotic way. They smiled quietly, observing their surroundings, some bending occasionally to pick fruits or rearrange things. It was serene, almost hypnotic.

Kaya approached one of them, hesitating slightly, and asked, "Can you tell me where the water is... or anything?"

The response wasn’t words. A female capybara turned to her, tilting her head, her large, bright eyes studying Kaya with a calm intensity. Kaya had to admit—it was impossible not to notice.

The creature was beautiful in a way that felt almost unreal. Smooth, fair skin, expressive eyes, a quiet elegance that made Kaya’s heart skip. Until now, every female Kaya had met had their own charm, but this—this was different. The capybara’s gaze felt like it was quietly assessing her, and for a moment, Kaya’s chest tightened, caught completely off guard by the sheer, unspoken presence of beauty.

When Kaya saw beauty like this, she was certain Veer must be completely crazy. Just look at these women... and then look at Kaya—was there even a match? If it weren’t for finding a way to return, Kaya might have even considered getting a few girlfriends herself.

"Excuse me," Kaya said softly, trying to get the capybara’s attention. She stepped closer, squinting at the creature, hoping for some kind of response. But the capybara didn’t move. She just stared. Blinking slowly—or maybe not at all.