Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands
Chapter 38 --38

Chapter 38: Chapter-38

The sparrow’s eye twitched.

Yes. To haunt you, woman.

The sparrow hovered in the air, wings stretched wide, his soaked feathers puffed up with righteous fury. With a sharp screech, he launched forward like a feathery missile—eyes locked on Kaya’s head, vengeance burning bright.

He was just a breath away.

So close—

Thud.

But of course... he failed.

In that split second, before the sparrow could complete his glorious revenge dive, a tall shadow flashed between them—so sudden it felt like the wind itself had formed a shield.

Cutie.

He appeared as if from nowhere, faster than a blink, faster than logic, and with a calm that contrasted the chaos, he reached out his right hand—effortlessly catching the bird mid-air.

The sparrow flailed, a confused squawk escaping his beak, legs kicking dramatically as if betrayed by gravity itself.

Cutie’s fingers closed gently but firmly around the bird, trapping him with practiced ease. He looked down, his expression unreadable at first, but his gaze carried a quiet authority.

Even though the sparrow had grown—now nearly the size of a small chicken—Cutie was built larger than most. His palm easily enveloped the fuming bird, holding him still like a parent catching a child about to throw a tantrum in public.

Kaya peeked from behind Cutie, eyes narrowing slightly as she spotted the squirming sparrow trapped in his hand. Without a word, she stepped forward.

Cutie gave her a side glance—he knew that look.

Before he could say anything, Kaya reached out and grabbed the sparrow from his palm, her fingers curling around his feathery wings with a deliberate calm.

She lifted the bird to her eye level, and for a moment, the world went quiet.

Her gaze turned sharp—cold, unflinching.

The sparrow stilled in her grasp, a visible shiver running down his soaked feathers. His body trembled ever so slightly, the reaction almost instinctive. No matter how bitter he had become over time... no matter how much rage he buried in that tiny chest, he still couldn’t forget the way this woman had treated him before.

That day had left a mark—a trauma stitched into his bones.

Now, whenever she touched him, even unintentionally, his body remembered.

Yet, his eyes burned with stubborn defiance. Even while trembling, they held a flicker of fire.

"Chrrrip?"

(Why did you throw me?)

He didn’t need to speak for the question to ring out. It was written across his glare, etched in every twitch of his feathers.

Kaya tilted her head, feigning innocence. She couldn’t understand his words—technically. But she didn’t need to.

She knew exactly what that chirp meant.

And still... she smiled.

"Oh," she said sweetly, her voice deceptively gentle, "I just wanted to give you a bath."

The sparrow twitched. Cutie blinked. There was a pause of disbelief in the air.

Silence.

Then—

"...Bath?" Cutie muttered, deadpan.

Forget the bird—even Cutie didn’t believe that excuse. Not for a second. His expression remained unreadable, but the subtle sigh that escaped him said everything.

Both of them knew.

This wasn’t about a bath.

This was payback—a delayed, deliberate grudge from that lion-chasing day.

The sparrow chirped again, weaker this time, like his spirit was folding under the weight of injustice.

I knew it...

Kaya just smiled wider, clearly enjoying herself far too much.

Without another word, Kaya casually tossed the damp, glaring sparrow at Cutie, as if handing off a used towel.

Caught off guard—again—Cutie instinctively raised his arms and caught the bird against his chest. The sparrow squawked in dismay, feathers flailing like ruffled pride. His beady eyes narrowed at Kaya’s retreating figure.

Kaya stretched her arms overhead, let out a lazy yawn, then ran her fingers through her hair with a careless flick. "I’m gonna take a bath," she said, voice muffled slightly as she rubbed her scalp. "Too tired to deal with drama."

She waved her hand vaguely in the air, already turning away like none of this had happened.

Cutie stood frozen, bird in arms, water still dripping from both of them.

The sparrow looked up at him—wet, humiliated, traumatized. Again.

Cutie sighed.

Of course, no matter what anyone said... Kaya had only thrown the sparrow in the river for one reason.

She just wanted him to take a bath.

...Yeah. Sure. A bath.

And maybe—just maybe—to help him check in a hurry if there were any crocodiles lurking in the water too.

You know. Just in case.

Cutie glanced down at the bird. "You alive?"

The sparrow flopped slightly in response. Barely. But alive.

Barely.

Kaya walked up to the river’s edge, her steps slow, deliberate—part exhaustion, part calculation. She bent down and began unfastening her shoes, fingers trembling slightly, the knuckles aching like they might snap with just a little more pressure.

"Just my luck," she muttered under her breath.

She never wore these kinds of shoes. They were the dainty, narrow type the village girls adored—pretty but utterly useless. Her usual beat-up combat shoes or men’s boots could’ve taken her anywhere, even through fire. But this one time, this damn one time, she’d worn something more "feminine"—and here she was, stuck in the wilderness, her feet blistered and red like she’d walked across a field of thorns.

As she finally pulled them off, she winced.

Her feet were already a furious shade of red, skin irritated and swollen in a few places. She crouched, rubbing them with her palms, grimacing through the dull, pulsing pain.

She straightened, peeled off her grey blazer, and carefully placed it on a large stone nearby. Then, slowly, she stepped toward the river.

Her foot touched the water.

Cold.

But not biting. It was the kind of cold that washed over her skin like forgiveness—startling at first, then oddly comforting.

A soft, genuine sigh escaped her lips as she sank both feet in. Relief flooded through her. The water cradled the pain, numbing it, softening it. Her shoulders relaxed for the first time that day.

Kaya walked in slowly, keeping close to the riverbank.