Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands-Chapter 308 --

The next morning, as soon as the sparrow’s eyelids fluttered open, he was greeted by an unfamiliar sight. The roof above him wasn’t the one he remembered, and the smell—clean herbs and damp cloth—didn’t belong to his nest.

He shifted slightly, wincing as a sharp pain ran down his back. Ugh, why does lying straight feel like punishment? He turned to his side—and froze.

Right beside him sat Kaya, her expression unreadable, her hand wrapped tightly around his.

For a full heartbeat, his mind went blank. Then panic hit.

He covered his mouth with both hands to muffle the squeak that almost escaped. Damn it! What the hell is going on?!

His thoughts raced faster than his wings ever could. Did I die? Is this the afterlife?

He looked at her again. No, no, no... if she wanted to kill me, she’d be choking my neck, not my hand...

He squinted suspiciously. Or maybe this is part of her plan? Maybe she’s pretending to be gentle before she turns me into stew. Oh gods, she’s definitely thinking about cooking me! I’m doomed!

He lay still, his body stiff as a stick, barely breathing, staring at Kaya like she was the reaper herself disguised as a beautiful woman.

Then his gaze wandered—first to the small water basin by the bed, then to Kaya’s face. Her eyes looked tired, shadows resting beneath them as if she hadn’t slept all night.

He blinked, confused, then slowly raised a hand to touch his head. A damp cloth was resting there, cool against his skin.

Wait... did she... take care of me? he thought, staring at her in disbelief. No way. This woman?

For a brief moment, warmth flickered in his chest. But before it could settle, another memory hit him—Kaya’s foot connecting squarely with his side, the sound of his own feathers scattering. He flinched at the thought, trembling slightly.

Sensing movement beside her, Kaya stirred. Her lashes lifted slowly, and she blinked at him through sleep-heavy eyes. Then she straightened up, stretching with a long yawn.

"Oh, you’re awake!" she said, her voice soft but a little hoarse.

Hearing her voice, the sparrow instantly pulled the hide closer to his chest, like a frightened chick trying to hide under its feathers. He swallowed hard, opened his mouth to speak—only for a rasping croak to escape. No real sound came out.

He winced, his fingers going to his throat. It felt raw, scraped—like someone had dragged sandpaper through it. He tried again, but the pain made him stop, eyes watering slightly.

Kaya noticed immediately. "Hey, wait a minute," she said, frowning as she leaned closer. She glanced around the small room, but there wasn’t even a jug of warm water in sight. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Hold on. If you can wait for five minutes, I’ll bring you some warm water," she said quickly, already standing up.

The sparrow froze, staring at her with wide eyes. Warm water? For me?

For a second, he genuinely wondered if he was still dreaming—or maybe this was some new form of torture, making him believe she cared before kicking him again.

Kaya didn’t notice his expression. She brushed off the creases in her dress and started for the door. The healer’s hut didn’t have a kitchen, so she’d have to fetch the water herself. Her footsteps were brisk, her tone matter-of-fact—but there was a quiet, unspoken care in the way she moved.

As soon as Kaya opened the door, she froze. Both Cutie and Veer were standing there with wide smiles, looking far too pleased with themselves. Kaya let out a long sigh, unsure whether she should be angry, annoyed, or just completely speechless.

Ever since she’d come to this world, her alertness had become almost useless. Everyone who wanted to see her never knocked or gave any warning—they either barged in or just appeared, standing there like statues. No courtesy, no pretense, just... there.

Kaya blinked at them and finally asked, her voice flat, "What are you guys doing here?"

Veer’s smile didn’t waver. "See..." he said, lifting a wooden tray. On it rested a bowl of steaming water, so hot it looked like it had just boiled. Kaya’s eyes widened slightly. If she dropped even a shrimp in that, it would probably cook instantly.

She turned to look at both Veer and Cutie, their grins unwavering. "For...?" she asked, dreading the answer. She already had a strange sense of déjà vu just looking at that steaming bowl.

Cutie smiled softly and said, "Um... the healer said to give it to... Sparrow."

Kaya froze, blinking at him. "What?"

Cutie nodded and repeated, a little more firmly this time, "The healer said to give it to the sparrow."

Kaya glanced at the steaming bowl in his hands. Her chest tightened a little with pity. Poor thing...

Veer, standing nearby, added quietly, almost under his breath, "Yes... the healer said the sparrow is really tired from flying." His tone carried a slight grit, as if he was pulling the words out with effort, emphasizing tired. "And he also said that drinking plenty of warm water would help him recover faster. That’s why we brought it as quickly as possible—so it wouldn’t cool down."

Kaya stared at them blankly. "Do you even know the difference between warm and hot?" she asked, her tone sharp. "And this... this water is extremely hot. Are you sure it won’t completely burn the sparrow’s mouth?"

Cutie and Veer paused, then both laughed.

"Sweetheart, are you worried about that damn sparrow?" Veer teased, his amber eyes glinting.

Kaya glared. "I asked you a question—answer me!"

Suddenly, their expressions flickered. A subtle coldness slid into their eyes, but their smiles stayed bright, almost teasingly so.

"Of course, darling," Veer said smoothly. "The healer said we should give him some hot water. And yes, even this water was boiled by the healer himself. He also said we must give it to the sparrow as quickly as possible. If you don’t believe us, we can swear on it."