CHAPTER 317: CHAPTER-317

Without thinking much, Kaya leaned a little closer, breathing in that scent. It helped mask the rotting stench nearby, wrapping her in a kind of strange calm. And then, as if a spark went off in her head, she smiled.

Of course. She was a genius.

Cutie blinked at her, confused — until about ten minutes later.

Veer, lying on his side a short distance away, glanced at them with gritted teeth.

Cutie looked completely helpless, his face slightly flushed.

Meanwhile, Kaya was snuggled comfortably in his arms, nose buried against his chest, finally able to breathe without gagging.

Veer glared at Cutie and made a sharp hand signal—thumb across his throat.

Cutie glanced first at Kaya, who was curled up and already half-asleep against him, then looked back at Veer and gave a small, smug smirk.

Veer’s anger flared. He wanted to jump up and strangle the little fool then and there, but Kaya was sleeping against Cutie, and he wouldn’t risk waking her. So he stayed still, jaw tight, every muscle ready to spring.

Kaya mumbled something in her sleep. Veer froze, listening, then slowly leaned forward — only for Kaya to fling a hand out. One palm landed on Veer’s chest, the other threaded into Cutie’s sleeve, holding them both in place.

Veer went completely still, trapped by her sleepy grip and the weight of not wanting to disturb her. Cutie’s smugness softened into a helpless, half-amused look. The three of them stayed like that for a long, quiet moment

Kaya slept like a rock that night—deep, warm, and undisturbed. For the first time in days, her body truly relaxed. The faint stench around them didn’t reach her anymore; even the forest felt quiet, as if keeping guard over her sleep.

Meanwhile, cutie and Veer didn’t share the same peace. Both of them stayed half-awake, ears twitching at every sound, glancing at each other whenever the fire crackled too sharply. They only managed to doze off when dawn finally brushed the sky pale gold.

Before sleep could fully take him, Veer unfolded one of his large wings and draped it over them, shielding the trio in soft, feathery darkness.

When Kaya stirred sometime later, she blinked into pitch black. It still looked like night, so she let out a quiet sigh and decided to rest a few minutes more. Her hand searched around lazily for her phone to check the time. Instead, her fingers brushed against something firm—and warm. Curious, she pressed lightly. It flexed slightly under her touch—muscle, with a strange mix of warmth and softness.

Her brow furrowed. Then she moved her other hand—and found the same thing again, only this time smoother.

Slowly, Kaya opened her eyes. The faint morning light seeped in through the feathers, revealing two sleeping faces. Her gaze fell to her right first—cutie. Her palm was flat against his chest. Worse, her thumb rested dangerously close to his nipple.

Her eyes widened in horror. She yanked her hand back immediately.

Heart pounding, she turned her head to the other side—and froze. There was Veer. And her other hand... oh no. It wasn’t on his chest at all—it was resting on his stomach, a little too low for comfort.

Kaya’s face turned crimson. She jerked both hands back at once and sat up so fast she hit her head on Veer’s wing.

"What the hell...?" she muttered under her breath, clutching her blanket like it could hide her from the entire universe.

At that moment, Veer and Cutie slowly blinked awake. Their eyes were still heavy with sleep, but the first thing they saw was Kaya sitting up, her back slightly stiff. Hearing the faint rustle behind her, Kaya quickly changed her expression—pretending to yawn as if she had just woken up too.

Veer rubbed his eyes, his voice still rough from sleep. "When did you wake up?"

Cutie stretched beside him, his hair a complete mess, and followed up with a sleepy mumble, "Yeah... already awake?"

Kaya shrugged lazily, stifling another fake yawn. "Just now."

As Veer folded his wings back, sunlight suddenly spilled into the pit, flooding it with bright warmth. The three of them squinted, blinking at the light. Kaya stretched her arms above her head and stood up, muttering something under her breath about "morning already."

But the moment she stepped out of the pit, the disgusting stench of the mushroom hit her nose again. She froze mid-step, gagged slightly, and waved a hand in front of her face.

Cutie and Veer were climbing out behind her when she frowned, feeling like she had forgotten something important. Her eyes darted around—the ground, the trees, the pit—until they stopped at a small mound of soil near her feet.

Her heart dropped.

"My bag..." she whispered, eyes widening.

And then it hit her. "Oh no."

Kaya dashed to the spot and crouched down, frantically brushing the soil away with her hands. In two quick swipes, she dug out the half-buried bag.

As soon as she opened it, a faint, trembling chirp came from inside.

"Chirp... chirp..."

A tiny sparrow—ruffled, pale, and weak—poked its head out. Its feathers were messy, and its little body trembled as it tried to climb out of the bag.

Kaya’s face went white. Guilt hit her like a punch. She had completely forgotten about him.

She had put the sparrow inside the bag last night so it could rest safely... but in her rush, she had buried the bag with the others to hide their scent.

"Oh no, no, no..." she whispered, her hands shaking as she carefully lifted the little bird.

The sparrow gave another faint chirp, its voice barely there, and Kaya’s heart twisted painfully.

Thank God, she thought, it wasn’t buried too deep. If it was...

She looked at the sparrow, quite surprised herself as she realized the sheer strength and unnatural resilience of a beastman. For a moment, she was actually impressed.

Touching her chin, she tilted her head and studied the tiny creature.