Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands-Chapter 290 --.

Darkness had already fallen when Kaya stirred awake. Her lashes fluttered, and a faint heaviness still clung to her head, but she felt better—steady enough. As her eyes adjusted, she realized Veer was sitting just behind her.

His wings were stretched out, arched above her like a shield. They didn’t rest on her body but hovered in the air, forming a little roof of feathers that wrapped her in their shadow.

Kaya blinked at the strange sight, her brows knitting. She shifted, and her throat rasped with dryness.

"Uh..." Her voice cracked, followed by a sharp cough—cough. She winced, pressing a hand to her throat. "What... what are you doing here? And what is this?" She pointed weakly upward at his wings.

Veer glanced at the arch of feathers, then slowly began to fold them back. The movement dragged a low, rough sound from him—nghh... ahh—a groan that slipped before he could stop it.

Kaya’s frown deepened instantly. "You’ve been like this... ever since I slept?"

He rubbed the back of his shoulder, shifting stiffly, his voice quiet but steady. "Yeah. You were sleeping, and the sun was high, so..." He let out a short exhale, "I covered you."

Kaya stared at him for a long, searching moment. The quiet between them stretched. She noticed the way his hand lingered at his back, how his jaw tightened as if to hide the pain. He looked as though he’d been holding himself in place for hours, protecting her without a thought for himself.

Her lips parted, but no words came at first. Finally, she asked softly, "Veer... where are we even going?"

Maybe it was the haze of just waking, but her mind felt strangely clear. The usual clutter of chores, worries, and noise had all gone silent. In the hush of night, there was only the rhythm of her breathing, the faint rustle of his feathers, and Veer’s low, labored groan as he shifted again—hnnhh...—as though every movement cost him something.

Soon, Kaya heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching. She turned her head and saw the sparrow coming toward her, carrying a small bowl of water. He handed it to her with lowered eyes.

Kaya accepted it, gazing for a moment at the clear surface before taking a few careful sips. The cool water soothed her dry throat. She placed the bowl down on the ground, then lifted her eyes toward Veer.

Veer froze under her gaze. He knew—he couldn’t hide anymore. His eyes flicked briefly toward the sparrow, then back to her. With a low, rough voice, he admitted, "Kaya... I don’t know."

Yajnakar, the sparrow, remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Veer drew in a shaky breath and continued, words spilling with both desperation and honesty. "I don’t know where we’re going... or where I’m taking you. I won’t lie to you. But don’t worry." His hand reached out, resting firmly on her shoulder. His head bowed until his forehead pressed against her. His voice trembled. "Even if I die, I would never hurt you. I will protect you with my life. Please... just believe me in this."

Kaya stiffened, staring past him at the wide, empty night sky. She had never believed in anyone—not truly. And now, with this miserable half-human, half-beast clinging to her like the last thread of hope, something inside her cracked.

A hollow laugh slipped from her lips—sharp, self-deprecating. "Hah..." Her chest rose and fell unevenly. "Fine."

Veer’s head jerked up slightly, his eyes widening. "What...?"

Her gaze met his, calm yet fragile. "Fine. I believe you. This time."

Veer blinked, stunned. He had never imagined Kaya would give him such words.

Kaya held his gaze, then allowed the faintest smile to touch her lips. "I’m believing you. So... don’t break my trust."

Kaya really felt like laughing at herself. A dry, bitter laugh that never reached her lips. But she was too damn tired. Maybe she was going crazy, slowly. Maybe it was what that damn healer had said—the poison in her body would kill her sooner or later. Perhaps it had already begun working on her brain, eating away at her thoughts.

She had been searching, running, clawing for answers—here, there, everywhere—and still she had found no way back to her world. And now, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to go back. Did she want to stay here? Did she want to leave? Kaya realized she didn’t know anything anymore.

A bleak thought curled around her heart: if she died—whether in this world or her own—would anyone even cry for her? Was there anyone, anywhere, who would care?

Her gaze drifted, almost absently, and fell on him. On Veer.

And suddenly, a strange thought stabbed through her exhaustion. This person... he would cry.

That single, fragile certainty made her chest ache.

So Kaya gave him a chance. Trusting Veer wasn’t just about giving him her trust—it was her test, her wager with fate. She wanted to see what he would do with it, how he would hold it... or break it. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

If he broke it, maybe it would finally set her free from this tangle of guilt, hope, and doubt. Maybe then she wouldn’t have to worry about feeling anything. Maybe then she would finally have her answer—whether she wanted to leave this world, whether she even wanted to live at all.

Everything would be decided by just one action from this person.

It was as if something had been triggered that day. From then on, Kaya’s nosebleeds came more often—sometimes in steady streams that left her weak and pale. And it didn’t stop there. Even when she tried to eat, a sudden fit of cough—cough—cough! would end with blood staining her lips.

Veer was worried sick. His chest felt like it was being crushed every time he saw her stumble, every time he wiped the red from her face.

He had already carried her from one healer to another, searching desperately, but there were so few healers left in this world... and in the small tribes, there were none at all.