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

”Is... that name very special to your tribe?” Roxanna asked.

Aelin suddenly hiccupped at the question, as if it had caught her completely off guard. It was clear that this wasn’t a small or meaningless topic for their tribe.

”Ah, no, no! Maybe you just happen to have the same name!” Aelin said quickly. She shook her head several times, as though she was trying hard to convince Roxanna—or maybe herself—that there was nothing strange about it.

But the more Aelin tried to brush it off, the more Roxanna felt that something wasn’t right.

When she glanced around, she noticed that the people sitting near the bonfire were watching her closely after they heard her name. Every time Roxanna made even the smallest movement, dozens of eyes behind skull masks shifted to follow her.

[They’re starting to scare me,] she thought. [But I don’t feel any killing intent from them.]

Still, many victims of dangerous people also failed to notice the danger at first, and when they finally did, it was already too late.

”Really! You really don’t need to think about it anymore,” Aelin said once more. ”It’s just... our prophecy—”

”I’m sorry!” Another beastwoman suddenly covered Aelin’s mouth with her hand. ”I need Aelin to clean up a mess in my hut, so I have to take her with me for a while.”

In just a few seconds, she pulled Aelin away from Roxanna. Even though she never removed her mask, Roxanna could tell that the beastwoman was nervous.

”You can eat the fish here,” she said quickly, and then looked away. ”Excuse me.”

Just like that, the two of them walked away. From a distance, Roxanna could see the beastwoman scolding Aelin, as if Aelin had almost revealed a terrifying secret to a stranger.

Actually... it was kind of odd.

[Prophecy?] Roxanna wondered. [Was Aelin trying to say that I’m part of their tribe’s prophecy? That doesn’t make sense.]

First of all, she didn’t belong to this world, and the body she was using now wasn’t even her original one. Even if someone named Roxanna appeared in the Golden Tribe’s prophecy, who would it be referring to?

Her soul, or the evil Roxanna’s body?

”Do you want me to gather some information about this?” Luan suddenly whispered beside her ear. ”I can shift into my cat form, maybe no one will notice me.”

Roxanna thought for a moment, then shook her head. ”It’s too risky,” she said softly. ”They’ll definitely notice if you suddenly disappear. And since Elior doesn’t really trust you, he might drive us away the moment he realizes you’re secretly looking for the tribe’s secret informations.”

More than that, the Golden Tribe people were clearly watching their every move. After thinking it through, there were simply too many bad possibilities if she let Luan spy on them.

For now, it was safer to stay cautious.

”Then we should stay alert,” Cyrus said. ”We don’t know what they’re hiding. They welcomed us warmly, but that doesn’t mean they’re harmless.”

Roxanna nodded. She whispered, ”From now on, don’t wander around this place alone.”

After that, she let out a heavy sigh, feeling a little disappointed. She had thought she might make a new female friend here, but instead, she had to be careful around everyone in this tribe.

Well... she just hoped they weren’t evil.

”Miss Fox, h-here... you and your husbands can eat the roasted fish first.” Another beastwoman stepped forward and offered several pieces of grilled fish.

The fish looked so appetizing, but what confused her a little was the fact that the beastwoman placed the roasted fish on a plate made of clay.

[Hell... they can even make clay plates?!] Roxanna thought in amazement. [Why are they more advanced than the other tribes?!]

”Thank you,” Roxanna said with a small smile.

The beastwoman immediately stepped back, but she continued watching Roxanna from a distance.

”This is interesting,” Cyrus said as he picked up the clay plate and examined it carefully. ”What is this called? It’s much more convenient than using leaves to hold roasted meat.”

Roxanna leaned closer to her husbands and spoke in a low voice. ”In my world, this is called a plate. There are many ways to make it, but this one is made from clay.”

”You mean the same clay we used to build the chimney?” Cyrus asked.

”Yes,” Roxanna replied, nodding.

She had actually planned to make plates and cups from clay herself, but she always forgot because there were just too many things she had to do every day.

”This is the first time I’ve seen a beast tribe eat using something like this,” Luan said quietly.

At the same time, the beastwoman who had brought the fish spoke again. ”Oh, Miss Fox, would you like to use spoons and forks? These are our special tools for eating!”

Roxanna’s eyes widened because she truly hadn’t expected anyone here to know about spoons and forks.

Roasted meat, clay plates, and now eating utensils?!

Who in the world taught these people how to make all of these modern things?

Roxanna had once believed that they had only learned how to cook meat by accident. Now, she wasn’t so sure anymore, especially since they even knew the modern names for the eating tools they used.

Someone from the modern world had clearly taught them!

”W-Where did you learn how to make these... special tools for eating?” Roxanna asked after taking the spoon and fork from the beastwoman.

The beastwoman tilted her head slightly and replied, ”This knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. Our ancestors were the first to make these eating tools. After that, they taught us how to make them and also told us their names.”

”Honestly, I don’t think the Leader would mind if you took a few of our utensils with you,” the beastwoman added warmly. ”I’ll give them to you before you leave.”

Roxanna smiled softly. ”Thank you.”

She didn’t want this beastwoman to be dragged away like Aelin, so Roxanna chose not to say anything more.

Turning around, she finally decided to eat the grilled fish in front of her. Her husbands never ate before she did, so they had been waiting quietly the whole time.

But just as Roxanna was about to pick up the fish with her fork, Luan gently stopped her hand. Lowering his voice, he whispered, ”We should be careful. Let me taste it first, just to make sure it’s safe.”

[But she was the one who caught the fish earlier...] Roxanna thought. [I also saw them clean the fish properly before grilling it.]

She didn’t really think the fish was poisoned, especially after seeing several children eating the freshly grilled fish without any problem.

Still, Luan’s concern wasn’t unnecessary. In a place this unfamiliar, they had to be careful about everything, even food.

”I can’t let you be my poison tester,” Roxanna said. ”My body is more resistant to poison than yours, so shouldn’t I be the one to test it instead?”

Luan frowned. ”But I don’t want you to be my poison tester either,” he said. ”What—”

Before he could finish, Cyrus suddenly took a bite of the grilled fish.

”What are you doing?” Roxanna asked in a low voice, careful not to attract attention.

”Eating first,” Cyrus replied calmly. ”That way, none of you have to test it.”

Roxanna froze for a second, then puffed out her cheeks. ”You’re truly something else!”

If the fish really had been poisoned, Cyrus would have been the first to die, and she truly didn’t want to see that happen. Fortunately, instead of collapsing from poison, Cyrus seemed completely drowned in how good the fish tasted.

”It’s really delicious,” he said, his eyes shining. ”You should try it.”

Cyrus picked up a piece of the grilled fish with his fork and gently brought it to Roxanna’s mouth.

Roxanna blinked in surprise. ”C-Cyrus, I can eat by myself.”

”I know,” he replied calmly. ”But I want you to taste it properly.”

Luan clicked his tongue softly but didn’t stop him. Instead, he crossed his arms and watched closely, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.

Roxanna hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth and took a bite.

The grilled fish was warm, juicy, and far better than she expected.

Even though they hadn’t used a single seasoning, the fish still had a unique taste that made the meat naturally rich and savory.

Roxanna chewed slowly, letting the flavor sink in. ”This doesn’t taste plain at all,” she said softly. ”Aelin was right! The fish is really delicious!”

A moment later, she picked up the grilled fish and turned to Luan. ”Open your mouth.”

Luan blinked, clearly caught off guard. But he still did as Roxanna told him to do. Within seconds, his usually flat and slightly cold expression changed completely.

His eyes widened, and his cat ears perked up. ”Huh,” he let out softly.

Cyrus smirked. ”That reaction says everything.”

Luan coughed lightly, turning his head away as if embarrassed. ”It’s... better than I expected.”