I Became the Villainess, But My Beast Husbands Can Hear My Mind?!

Sometimes, her husbands felt that Roxanna was a little too positive. But since they could hear her thoughts—which were always filled with worries and dark feelings—they knew she was only trying her best to turn her dull life into something bright and colorful.

It was sweet... but also a little sad.

”I will remember that,” Azul said. He used his other hand to pat her head a few times before adding, ”Alright, let’s go home now.”

It was already getting late, but Roxanna actually wasn’t sleepy yet since she had only woken up before sunset. Unfortunately, she had a lot to do tomorrow, so she couldn’t stay up too late.

Luckily, her husbands were also too tired to argue after everything that happened during her welcoming party. So tonight, they were able to sleep peacefully without fighting over who got to sleep beside her.

”Good night, everyone,” Roxanna said as she closed her eyes.

For now, she was lying between Zeir and Cyrus. It seemed the others had allowed them to take that spot because Azul and Calen had already mated with her, while Luan had been able to sleep in the same room with her last night.

Anyway, whatever the reason was, at least nobody fought, so they could all sleep soundly until morning.

===

”If I punch you during the tournament, do you think our wife will be mad at me?” Roxanna faintly heard Calen ask from far away.

The sun seemed to have just risen, because Roxanna felt the air starting to warm. As soon as she opened her eyes, she lifted her head and saw Calen talking to Cyrus in the kitchen.

”Why are you so sure you’ll be the one punching me?” Cyrus replied without even looking at him. He was more focused on the roasted meat. ”Maybe I’ll be the one who beats you until you forget your own name.”

”Or maybe I’ll be the one punching both of you,” Azul suddenly said.

”Don’t start fighting this early,” Roxanna said in a slightly sleepy voice. She slowly sat up on the floor mattress and rubbed her eyes. ”You can fight during the tournament.”

”We’re not fighting!” Calen quickly said. ”We’re just... talking! We were only worried you’d be upset if we ’accidentally’ punch each other.”

Even though he sounded sincere, Roxanna couldn’t forget the fact that Calen had grinned earlier when he said he might ”accidentally” hit the others.

[These beasts... they really can’t go even one day without fighting,] Roxanna sighed inside her mind. [Good thing I can’t hear their thoughts, or I would never have any peace in my life.]

”I won’t be mad,” Roxanna said. She let out a long breath and added, ”It’s a tournament, so I can understand. But remember, it only applies in the tournament. Once it’s over, all of you have to behave.”

”What do you mean? I always behave,” Calen replied confidently. But when Roxanna shook her head at him, he quickly corrected himself, ”Yes, Leader. I understand.”

Roxanna gave a small nod. ”Good.”

After that, Cyrus brought her some roasted meat. Once they finished eating, they cleaned up, changed into fresh clothes, and finally stepped out of the hut.

The tournament to choose the new commander was always held behind the settlement, near the black hut. The empty field there was also where the warriors usually trained, because the evil Roxanna used to think they were an eyesore if they trained anywhere near her.

Roxanna actually wondered whether the evil Roxanna didn’t like men at all. It seemed like she despised every man around her, and even when she seduced someone’s husband, it felt like she only did it to make his wife angry.

Well... whatever the reason was, that Roxanna was gone now.

”Leader, thirty-four people want to join the tournament,” Commander Marlow reported with a big smile on his face.

He really did look happy, like he had finally been set free from the heavy duties of being commander.

”Thirty men and... four women,” he added. ”But honestly, Leader, after thinking about it carefully, I don’t think it’s right for the beastwomen to join the tournament.”

Roxanna narrowed her eyes a little, but she simply asked, ”Why?”

”Most of the men entering the tournament have trained as warriors for a long time,” Commander Marlow explained. ”But the beastwomen in our tribe have never trained as hard as they have.”

”That makes sense,” Roxanna said softly. She went quiet for a moment, lost in thought. ”But still... I don’t think asking the women to step down from the tournament is the right choice either.”

That would only be seen as discrimination. Because of that, Roxanna chose another option instead. ”Let’s just use a ’surrender’ system,” she said.

”Surrender?” Commander Marlow repeated. ”So you mean they don’t have to beat each other until they can’t stand anymore?”

”Yes,” Roxanna nodded. ”The match will end once someone admits defeat. That way, no one has to get seriously hurt, especially the women who haven’t trained as much.”

She paused for a moment before continuing gently, ”Strength isn’t only about who hits the hardest. It’s also about control, strategy, and knowing when to stop.”

Commander Marlow thought about it for a while, then slowly nodded. ”I see... that does sound fair.”

Roxanna let out a sigh of relief because Commander Marlow agreed with her, even though she had come up with the idea on the spot without thinking too deeply about it.

The warriors who weren’t joining the tournament stood around the empty field, using long hanging roots that had been tied together into ropes to form a boundary.

Not far from them, the participants were busy stretching their muscles while throwing sharp, competitive looks at one another. But on the other side, Luan didn’t even bother to look at them. He had turned into a black cat and was now sitting comfortably on Roxanna’s lap.

”Why did you turn into a cat?” Roxanna asked softly as she stroked his head. ”Don’t you want to watch the others and make comments during the tournament?”

Luan only turned around a few times on her lap before curling up and lying down like a real cat. It seemed that without the Blessing Guardian, he had become an extra clingy cat.