CHAPTER 246: CHAPTER-246.

But now, even a vulture—a dead-body-eating, bone-picking creature—was mocking her hair. Wow. Kaya almost laughed at the irony, though it felt bitter in her chest.

When she bent down to wash her hands, she scrubbed hard, letting the water run over her knuckles. She also washed off that strange ornament. She didn’t know what it was—whether it was medicine, poison, or something that could slip into her mouth and harm her. Better to get rid of it.

But as the water cleared, her eyes widened. She froze, staring at her hand.

The ornament had dissolved away completely... but her skin—her knuckles—looked whole. Healed.

Her breath hitched. Slowly, Kaya moved her fingers, then clenched her fist and released it. Again. And again. No pain.

She touched the skin, pressed down on the knuckles where the flesh had been torn raw just hours ago. Nothing. Not even a sting. It wasn’t just the surface—it felt as though the wound had knitted itself from the inside out, leaving behind no scar, no trace.

Her heart thudded, a little too fast. This was... impossible.

As her thoughts spiraled, a sudden sharp sound shattered the silence—

CHIRP!

(HELP!)

A loud, screeching cry, raw and desperate.

Kaya hurriedly wiped her hand on the nearest hide and rushed out. But the moment her eyes landed on the scene outside, regret hit her like a stone.

These idiots!

And here she was, stupid enough to think something important had happened. How could she forget? Whenever these two were together, seriousness was a foreign concept.

In front of her stood the great "standoff." Except calling it that was an insult to the word. The tiny sparrow was trembling so hard his feathers practically quivered off, fear glistening in his wide eyes—yet he still tried to muster a pitiful glare at the towering vulture before him.

And Veer... dear Mr. Vulture... looked like he was having the time of his life. His lips curled, his eyes sharp with amusement, almost savoring the sparrow’s trembling as though it was his favorite sport.

"You!" Veer barked, his voice cutting sharp through the air. He leaned in, eyes glowing with that dark thrill. "Get. Down."

The sparrow puffed his tiny chest, though his knees (if birds even had those) were visibly trembling, and chirped back in defiance.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Veer narrowed his eyes, leaning closer with a dangerous grin.

"What? I’m not getting down. You?" His voice dropped low, like a predator savoring the moment. "I’m warning you, little feather—either you get down, or I’ll just eat you right now."

The sparrow shook his head so hard his feathers ruffled, another pitiful "Chirp!" escaping him.

Kaya blinked at them, baffled. They weren’t moving. Not even an inch. Just—standing there, throwing threats back and forth like kids passing a ball, neither of them daring to actually strike.

If one wanted to kill, at least fight! Not this ridiculous exchange.

Her patience snapped like dry twigs underfoot.

"Enough!" Kaya’s voice cracked through the cave like thunder, startling even the sparrow into a squeaky hiccup.

Both of them snapped their heads toward Kaya when she shouted. For a brief, miraculous two seconds, silence actually reigned.

Then—chaos.

Instead of yelling at each other, they bolted to her side like squabbling children reporting to their mother.

Veer jabbed an accusing finger toward the sparrow, his voice booming,

"Tell this bastard to get down from the table!"

"CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!" the sparrow screeched, grabbing onto Kaya’s leg as if clinging for dear life. His tiny claws dug in while his pitiful eyes begged, Save me, human!

Veer’s face darkened. "YOU BASTARD, STAY AWAY FROM HER!" He lunged, murder flashing in his amber eyes.

The sparrow squeaked, shaking his head furiously and chirping even louder as he clung tighter to Kaya’s leg.

"WHAT? YOU DARE TO DEFY ME?!" Veer roared, his wings twitching with rage. "YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!" And with that, he lunged again, chasing the trembling bird around Kaya like a predator circling its prey.

Kaya stood rooted, watching the whole circus unfold. Her lips twitched uncontrollably. Seriously? This was her day?

Smack

Smack

Two fists cracked through the air and landed squarely on both their heads. The sound was sharp, the pain immediate. Veer and the sparrow both grabbed their skulls and groaned in unison.

"Why—" Veer started, but one look at Kaya’s dark expression silenced him instantly.

"Kneel," she ordered, her voice low but firm.

It was like flipping a switch. In perfect sync, both of them dropped down like obedient soldiers—well, except the sparrow, because... did he even have knees? Kaya squinted at him, then dismissed the thought with a wave. "Whatever. Just... stand still."

Both raised their hands in surrender, faces stiff, watching her like children caught stealing fruit.

Kaya walked over to the stone table with deliberate steps, pulled out the stool, and sat down like a queen claiming her throne. Her eyes flicked over them once more.

"Until I say so, neither of you even dare to move."

And just like that, her attention shifted.

On the table, an array of food awaited—roasted chicken with golden skin, a fresh cucumber salad, a handful of fried greens that looked like peanuts, and even flowers in a makeshift vase, red and yellow blossoms that looked like hibiscus and roses. For once, it wasn’t chaos. It was... beautiful.

Kaya picked up the chopsticks—still clumsy in her learning—and lifted a piece of meat to her mouth.

She chewed slowly, her lips twitching at the flavor.

"...Tasty."

"Son"

Veer’s father stepped into the house, his cheerful countenance unusually calm, a massive slab of meat slung casually over his shoulder. The faint scent of blood and iron clung to him, carried in with the cold air from outside.

But the moment his eyes landed on the scene before him, the calm shattered.

His son—his precious son, the pride of his life, the one he guarded as if the world itself were too unworthy—was kneeling on the ground. And across from him, that wretch of a woman sat perched on the stone stool, eating calmly as though she were in her own home, her eyes barely flicking toward him in the laziest of side-glances.