Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands-Chapter 286 --

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The sharp sound of walnuts snapping under pressure echoed in the quiet.

The sparrow slowly turned his head toward Kaya, only for his tiny face to drain of color. She wasn’t using a rock, or even a tool—she was breaking the shells barehanded. His throat bobbed nervously as he tried to speak, but the words froze when Kaya lifted her eyes, fixing him with a cold glare.

Crack. Another walnut split in her palm.

The sparrow flinched, wings twitching, and inched to the side, hoping to slip out of her gaze. But Kaya rose to her feet, brushing crumbs off her hands. She walked straight toward him, every step deliberate.

Stopping in front of him, she popped the nut into her mouth, chewing slowly before speaking.

"Well?" Her eyes narrowed. "How do you always find me, huh?"

The sparrow trembled, beak parting as if to explain—

"Chirp—"

"Don’t you dare." Kaya’s tone cut like ice. She leaned closer, voice chilling as she hissed, "Chirp one more time and I’ll cook you like a chicken." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

His beak clamped shut instantly. Not a sound.

Kaya’s gaze hardened. "Transform."

The word cracked through the air like a whip. The sparrow froze, shivered, then hurriedly burst into light, his form stretching and reshaping until a boy—slim, disheveled, and far younger than anyone expected—stood trembling before her.

Veer’s eyes widened, then darkened with fury. He stormed forward, seizing the boy by the ears with both hands.

"You bastard!" His voice thundered. "Not even out of your underwear, and you dare hover around my wife?!"

The boy winced, whimpering under Veer’s grip.

Until now, Veer had only known him as a beastman in bird form. He’d assumed, from the way the sparrow clung to Kaya, that the creature must be some older, stubborn man—someone at least Veer’s own age, maybe older. But this?

This was a child.

Veer froze, staring at the boy’s wide, frightened eyes. His chest tightened.

"Damn it..." he muttered. His grip slackened. "Don’t tell me—I was beating up a child this whole time?"

Self-doubt clawed at him as flashes of memory surfaced—every shove, every smack, every time he’d flung the sparrow away without a second thought.

Now, realization hit him like a stone to the gut.

The sparrow’s head snapped up, eyes blazing. "Who are you calling a child? I’m twenty-five years old! How dare you?!"

Veer froze mid-step. Slowly, his gaze slid back to the sparrow, his brows lifting. "...Twenty-five, huh?"

The sparrow raised his chin proudly. "Of course. I’m twenty-five."

A grin spread across Veer’s face—bright, almost cheerful. Too cheerful. The sparrow’s feathers (or what was left of them) prickled in dread.

"Good," Veer said, cracking his knuckles, the sound echoing like breaking bones. "Here I was worried I’d been beating a child. But twenty-five? Perfect. That means I can beat you as much as I like."

His teeth flashed in a sharp grin, and he started forward, fists tightening. The sparrow squeaked, throwing his arms up to shield his face, bracing for impact.

"Wait."

Kaya’s voice cut through the tension, calm and deliberate. Veer halted mid-swing, glancing at her. The sparrow peeked out between his fingers, relief flooding his features. Maybe—just maybe—she’d save him.

But then Kaya added coolly, "Let me get my answer first. Then you can beat him into a pulp."

The sparrow’s jaw dropped, his gratitude crumbling into raw disbelief. This woman is crueler than a demon!

Kaya’s eyes locked on him, sharp as blades. "Alright. Tell me—how do you always find me?"

The sparrow huffed, crossing his arms, refusing to answer. Crack.

Kaya split another walnut in her bare hand, her glare unwavering. The sparrow shuddered, sweat trickling down his neck.

"Maybe... because of the power of love?" he blurted, forcing a weak smile.

Kaya’s glare only deepened, her silence heavier than any words.

Behind her, crack-crack—Veer’s other fist flexed, knuckles popping. "Power of love, huh?" His tone promised violence.

Panic surged. The sparrow waved his arms wildly. "No, no, no! From my informants! From my informants!"

Kaya tilted her head, her voice suddenly calm, almost too calm. "Informants...? You mean, someone is telling you where I am?"

The sparrow swallowed hard, nodding quickly.

Her eyes chilled, her tone dropping into ice. "So you’ve put people behind me."

The words weren’t loud, but the way her voice cut through the air made the sparrow tremble harder than any threat Veer could make.

The sparrow shook his head so violently it looked like it might snap off.

"N-No! No, you’ve got it wrong!" he squawked.

Kaya’s arms folded slowly, her presence suddenly heavier, colder. Her eyes locked on him like a predator cornering prey.

"But you just said you had informants following me."

The sparrow’s breath hitched. "N-No, I meant—listen! I’m from the bird tribes, right? The forest is full of eyes. Little birds. Sparrows, crows, thrushes—you name it. I just... asked them. Tossed them a few crumbs, shiny stones, maybe some sugar, and they told me where they’d seen you." He spoke in a rush, words tumbling like falling stones.

Kaya didn’t blink. Didn’t move.

Desperate, the sparrow blurted, "With your black hair and... and those blue eyes—you stand out! You’re already famous out here. So finding you isn’t that hard."

The silence that followed made his feathers prickle.

Kaya tilted her chin, gaze sharp as flint. "Black hair is common. Do you take me for a fool?"

The sparrow’s beak clicked shut. He swallowed, darting a glance at Veer—only to find those golden eyes burning like fire. He shrank instantly, lowering his voice to a near whisper.

"Well... it’s not just the hair."

He hesitated, then leaned forward like he was confessing a sin.

"There’s only one with blue eyes. One... also one Crazy Vulture Prince."

The words hit the air like a spark.

Kaya’s brows lifted ever so slightly—acknowledgment, maybe even agreement. "...I see."

But Veer... Veer’s expression darkened like a storm rolling in. His lips curled back, and his knuckles popped one after the other, each crack like a warning bell.