“It won’t fit, Oswald. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Damn. You’re just too tight, Vivianne. I can’t get it in.”
“Then move a little. Yes… like that. That was amazing.”
Vivianne gasped when Oswald pushed again.
“P-please don’t be too rough! Not so hard!” she rasped.
“I just can’t help it. Just a little more.”
“Oswald…!”
“You are making this harder for me.”
Vivianne’s face went completely red.
“Could you stop saying suspicious things like that?”
“Like what?”
“Everything you just said!”
He paused for a moment, genuinely confused.
“Never mind. Just forget it.”
He shifted his position and grabbed Vivianne firmly.
“Ready? I’ll try again from behind now.”
Pop!
Oswald pulled with all his strength.
Suddenly Vivianne flew backward and landed on the riverbank with a wet thud.
She lay there for a moment, dripping wet and covered in soap foam.
After their short nap, Vivianne had decided to enjoy a proper bath with the soap and shampoo she bought from the System Shop.
Those damned expensive toiletries had barely raised her Beauty Points from -5% to 0%.
And somehow, Vivianne’s peaceful bath ended with her diving headfirst between two boulders.
After Oswald finally freed her, they continued their journey through the forest.
By noon, they finally arrived at the Wolf Beastmen village.
The Wolf Beastmen village was much larger than Vivianne expected.
The Canavar Pack stretched across the valley, with neat wooden houses lining its stone paths and fur rugs, animal pelts, and hunting trophies decorating their walls.
The village was busy but well organized, with children running between the houses, and the smell of cooked meat drifting through the air.
Vivianne barely took a few steps into the village before the chatter around her died.
“That red hair… She’s a Phoenix!”
“Impossible. The Phoenix Clan went extinct a century ago.”
The whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Some villagers stared at Vivianne with fear, while others backed away as if she might bring disaster simply by being there.
“My grandmother used to tell stories about the Phoenix,” someone whispered.
“They were beautiful, powerful and they were never satisfied with just one husband.”
Another woman swallowed nervously.
“They were said to gather husbands from different clans. The Phoenix women used their beauty to charm any man they wanted.”
“Seductress,” another woman snarled.
The words quickly passed from one villager to another.
“She’s a temptress!”
“The Phoenix must be here to steal our men!”
“Wait,” a high-pitched voice rose in alarm.
“She’s already set her sights on our Alpha!”
The shout cut through the whispers.
Several women turned toward Vivianne, their expressions changing from fear to anger.
“Already? What a terrifying woman.”
“She’s a Phoenix! What else would she want?”
“Don’t let her get close to Alpha Oswald!”
Vivianne just stood there in complete confusion.
Were she-wolves always this dramatic?
For God’s sake, I had only been here for thirty seconds!
How had I somehow become some kind of villain already?
Vivianne was about to defend herself when Oswald stepped between her and the angry women, his broad frame shielding her from the crowd.
“Vivianne isn’t like what you said. Who dares to call her a harlot, whore, bitch, nympho, maniac, low-life, man-eater, slut, hooker, temptress, or a courtesan!? That was really rude.”
The villagers fell silent.
One woman slowly raised her hand.
“Alpha Oswald, we only called her a seductress.”
Silence.
Vivianne rubbed her temples with her deadpan expression.
Of all the people who could defend me, why did I get this idiot mutt?
Oswald seemed to consider their objection.
“A seductress? Impossible.”
I had a bad feeling about this insufferable man.
He glanced back and pointed his fingers at Vivianne.
“She is way too stupid and clumsy to seduce anyone.”
“Excuse me?”
Oswald continued, completely serious.
“She nearly got herself killed by wild wolves, slipped into a river while bathing, and somehow managed to get her head stuck spectacularly between two boulders!”
Vivianne’s jaw dropped.
Why did every word out of his mouth make me sound more pathetic?
“You were supposed to be defending me!”
“I did, Vivianne. Feel free to praise me.”
Oswald lowered his head toward her, his tail swishing behind him.
His green eyes gleamed with quiet expectation as if he were waiting for a pat.
But Vivianne bonked him on the head instead.
A collective gasp swept through the villagers.
But Vivianne ignored them and simply turned away.
Oswald hurried after her, rubbing the spot she had hit.
“Why did you hit me?” he whimpered softly.
“You called me stupid.”
Oswald tilted his head.
“But I defended your honor. Their baseless accusation was impossible.”
Vivianne pressed a hand to her forehead.
“That’s not how it works.”
Oswald seemed ready to argue, but his ears flicked toward several male beastmen still sneaking glances at Vivianne.
His expression barely changed, but he moved closer until his shoulder brushed hers.
When one of the men didn’t look away, Oswald quietly stepped between them.
“Come. Let’s get you something to eat. You must be hungry.”
Was he trying to distract her with food?
Maybe Oswald had a point.
Vivianne hadn’t eaten in hours and was starting to feel hangry.
He led her through the village as the whispers continued.
Whenever someone stared too long, his ears flattened.
One sharp glance from him was enough to make them look away.
He was a bit blunt, but he was a good man.
Somehow, that was kind of reassuring.
The village was livelier up close.
Beastmen went about their daily routines, tending to their homes, carrying supplies, and chatting along the stone paths while children ran between them.
Some children peeked at Vivianne from behind their mothers.
One wolf pup slowly peeked out again, and Vivianne crouched to her level with a friendly smile.
“Hi there, little girl.”
The child’s ears perked up before she shyly waved back.
Oswald watched the exchange with quiet fondness, his expression softening.
He eventually stopped beside the village’s communal kitchen and returned with two bowls of roasted meat seasoned with herbs.
He handed one to Vivianne before sitting beside her with the other.
“Eat. You haven’t had anything since we left the forest.”
Vivianne accepted the steaming bowl, and her stomach immediately betrayed her with a loud growl.
She hadn’t even realized how hungry she was until the smell reached her.
“Thank you, Oswald.”
He was really attentive.
They ate together in peaceful silence.
For the first time since arriving in the Beast World, Vivianne didn’t feel the need to figure everything out at once
The strange rumors, the Phoenix Clan, the System, even the fact that she had somehow ended up in another world—all of it seemed distant.
The warm food and quiet company were enough for now.
For a brief moment, the village noise faded.
Then an elderly beastman approached, his gray-streaked hair and deep facial scars making him look intimidating.
His gaze settled on Vivianne’s crimson hair.
“Alpha Oswald, what have you done?” His voice boomed across the quiet village.
“Why have you brought a stranger into Canavar pack?”
Oswald frowned.
“She is not a stranger. She is my guest, Elder Miles.”
So this shitty old man’s name is Miles.
“A Phoenix,” Miles growled.
“The last one left in this world.”
A murmur passed through the villagers.
Miles continued, “For generations, the Phoenix Clan was feared for their strange bloodline and ability to form bonds with multiple beastmen. Their women were said to possess bewitching beauty that could charm even the strongest warriors.”
“Vivianne did nothing wrong,” Oswald replied firmly.
“She saved my life. I won’t allow anyone to insult her because of her blood.”
Miles scoffed.
“Don’t you see the trouble this woman has brought with her? Everyone was worried that the Phoenix lady wanted to steal their husbands.”
“Their rumors aren’t her fault,” Oswald snarled.
“Then perhaps you should remember your responsibility as an Alpha. You cannot simply bring home any woman who catches your attention.” Miles’s expression darkened.
Oswald frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Someone shifted behind the Elder.
A beautiful she-wolf peeked from behind him.
Her pale brown ears are visible above Miles’s shoulder.
Jealousy burned in her eyes as she glared at Vivianne.
“You know very well what I’m talking about. My daughter has been promised to you.”