CHAPTER 330: CHAPTER-330

Even though Veer’s voice carried a soft playfulness, it couldn’t hide the steel beneath it. Kaya’s lips curved into a smile. This was one of the things she loved most about him — if she asked, he acted. No questions, no hesitation. If she told him to jump, he would ask only how high, never why.

But then Cutie spoke up, his voice soft as usual, yet tinged with icy undertones. "But... what if there are too many boars together?"

Kaya turned her head and met his gaze. His calm tone, combined with that cold edge, made it clear: even Cutie, gentle as he seemed, would not falter when it mattered.

Kaya watched Cutie for a moment, then slowly turned to him with a faintly impressed expression. "Well... what can we do? One boar isn’t going to fill my stomach that easily. Looks like we’ll need to wait and hunt a few more."

Cutie nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm... then how about we lure the boars with some prey and capture them?"

Kaya’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Not bad. Quite a clever idea."

After that, they all tilted their heads back, eyes closed, lost in thought. Kaya couldn’t help but appreciate Cutie’s sharp mind; he had already picked up on the suspicion. She herself had pieced things together — this was wolf tribe territory, and even this hotel seemed to fall under their control. Half the street belonged to them, and no one could just wander in without cause.

The room’s state only added to her suspicion — it was too orderly for a single intruder. And why follow her specifically? Kaya wasn’t exactly helpless, nor was she the only attractive woman in the area. The fox tribe women at the market earlier had made her catch her breath with their beauty. Clearly, someone wanted something more than just to admire her.

So Kaya settled into patience, determined to wait and catch whoever it was — and she would do it fast.

After resting for a while, Kaya and the others went out again. That night, when they returned, everything seemed normal. The same went for the second day. But then Kaya said something unexpected: she wanted to live somewhere else — somewhere more open. "This room feels... stuffy," she muttered.

Veer and others all agreed. Honestly, even veer had started to feel cramped in that space. So they decided to book a new room — one directly connected to the forest, an airtight space with a clear view outside. It looked beautiful, almost like the forest itself had been invited inside.

The hotel manager recommended it personally, mentioning that it belonged to his brother and was one of the best options if you wanted a "forest vibe" in the capital. Kaya immediately liked the place.

But, of course, there were a few catches. First, the window was large enough to jump out of. Second, it opened directly beside a bamboo forest. And third... the staff were essentially nonexistent. They mostly lived outside the courtyard, only coming inside to cook, clean, or do minimal work. They didn’t care much about the guests, which meant Kaya finally had the privacy she wanted.

She still went shopping and explored occasionally, but most of the time, she preferred staying in the hotel, enjoying the quiet, the forest air, and the sense that, at last, she had a little breathing room.

In the market, Kaya found all sorts of things — some that seemed oddly modern, others that felt completely out of place. Some sights made her genuinely surprised, some impressed her, some shocked her, and sometimes she didn’t even know how to react.

Right now, she was standing in the busiest part of the Capital’s market, surrounded by a tangle of small carts and tiny stalls, each run by a chain of bustling shopkeepers. And there it was — a stall selling rock salt. Not just small chunks, but massive blocks, each looking like it weighed 10 to 20 kilograms.

Kaya had seen rock salt in her world before, so she wasn’t completely shocked, but she couldn’t quite believe her eyes. These were people who fought and died over salt, and yet here they were, casually selling massive slabs like they were no more valuable than firewood.

Seeing Kaya’s expression, we just smiled. "Sweetheart, those are rock salts," we said. "They’re not purified or anything, that’s why they’re so cheap."

Kaya paused, turning to look at us with a slightly puzzled frown. "But... if you guys like salt so much, and here there isn’t much salt, why isn’t anyone buying even a bit of this?" she asked in a questioning tone.

Veer chuckled and replied, "Yes, we are crazy about salt and all, but these rock salts... they’re quite hard. And they taste a bit different from normal salt. Slightly less salty."

Kaya blinked, confused. "Less salty?"

Veer laughed and grabbed her hand. "Come on, I’ll show you." Pulling her gently toward the stall, Veer addressed the vendor politely. "Excuse me, could we get a small sample? My wife doesn’t understand the difference between this and normal salt."

The vendor chuckled, looking at Veer and then at Kaya. "Looks like you’re nearly married," he said.

Veer smiled and nodded hurriedly. "Yeah... just a few days ago."

The shopkeeper, a kind man, handed Kaya a tiny, broken piece of salt that looked like a miniature stone. She examined it for a moment, then hesitantly took a small bite. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"This... isn’t very salty," she muttered, tasting the slightly different flavor she couldn’t quite place.

Then suddenly, like a light bulb had just turned on in her head, Kaya’s eyes widened. "Wait... this is rock salt!" she exclaimed internally. "The natural, unfiltered kind!"

She muttered under her breath, her mind racing. Of course! This is the same salt we use during fasting, or when someone’s sick. Doctors sometimes prescribe it to make things lighter on the body... that’s why it tastes... different!

Her face lit up with a mix of surprise and excitement, like she had just uncovered some secret treasure hidden in plain sight.