CHAPTER 353: CHAPTER-353.

Veer had returned to her room later that evening, his expression serious for once.

"I asked around," he said, sitting down across from her. "What you’re looking for... it’s not easy to get."

Kaya leaned forward, eyes sharp. "But it exists?"

"Yeah," Veer confirmed. "There are records. Old ones. Kept in the Archives of the Fallen—that’s what they call the restricted library here in the capital. It contains everything the tribal leaders have collected about... outsiders. Humans who came before."

Kaya’s pulse quickened. "Can you get me access?"

Veer hesitated. "It’s guarded. Only tribal leaders and their direct advisors are allowed in. But..." He grinned slightly. "I’m the son of a tribal leader. I can get you in, but it’ll raise questions."

"I don’t care about questions," Kaya said flatly. "I need to know what they know."

Veer nodded. "Alright. But there’s something you should know. The records aren’t complete. A lot of them are fragmented—stories, secondhand accounts, objects that were found and studied. Some are accurate. Some are..." He paused. "Myths. Exaggerated tales that have been passed down and distorted over time."

"That’s fine," Kaya said. "I can separate fact from fiction. I just need access."

Veer smiled helplessly. "Um, fine, but for that, you need..." He paused, his gaze fixed on Kaya, his tone turning serious. "You’d have to be presented as my mate."

Kaya recoiled slightly. "What does that even mean?"

Veer sighed, frustrated. "The only ones who can enter the Archives are Tribe Leaders and their direct kin or mates. As his son, I can go, but you..." He gestured vaguely. "You need a connection to me. A formal one."

"Just say it clearly, what the hell are you talking about?" Kaya snapped, her patience wearing thin.

"My mate," Veer said, the words coming out in a rush. "My life-partner. You’d have to go in as my bonded mate in front of the elders."

Kaya stared at him as if he were the biggest idiot in the world. "And you wasted all this time dancing around that? So we pretend. Most people in this city already think I’m your maid or your mate anyway. Why does it matter if we act in front of a few more people?"

"Because it’s not about acting, sweetheart," Veer said, his voice dropping. "We can fool regular people, but the elders? The tribe leaders? They would just *smell* you, and they would know instantly that we have no connection like that."

Kaya paused, a flicker of irritation in her eyes. "Say it clearly."

Veer sighed again, this time with pure exasperation. "Sweetheart, when two beastmen are mates, when they become lovers, they carry each other’s scent. It’s on their skin, their clothes, everything. It’s a biological bond. Normal beastmen might not notice it, but the tribe leaders? Those old fools are sharp. They would know in two seconds that we’re not partners."

Kaya processed this, the biological lock clicking into place. The problem wasn’t social; it was sensory.

A slow, dangerous smile crept onto her face. "Fine. If the bond is a scent, then we’ll make one."

Kaya looked at Veer, my patience worn thin. "And how the hell does this scent even work?"

Veer’s face turned completely, incandescently red. He looked away, shifting his weight. In a voice barely above a whisper, he said, "By... mating."

Kaya paused. "Huh?"

It was like the word didn’t even compute. She was so sure she’d misheard him through the sheer stupidity of it all. "Excuse me, can you repeat that?"

Veer’s ears, now a shade of crimson that could rival a sunset, burned. He swallowed hard and mumbled it again, clearer this time. "By mating."

Kaya stared at him, her expression turning from irritation to utter disbelief. She processed the word, the context, the mortified look on his face. Then, with a voice as cold and sharp as chipped ice, she clarified.

"By mating, you mean S-E-X, right?"

Veer nodded miserably, refusing to meet her eyes.

Silence.

Kaya looked at him. Really, *really* looked at him. Her hand was already itching, twitching with the primal urge to hit this damn bastard so hard he’d forget his own name. *What the fucking hell is he even talking about?*

But seeing his completely serious, utterly defeated face, Kaya paused. The anger fizzled, replaced by a wave of profound, soul-crushing helplessness. This wasn’t a joke. This wasn’t him being a pervert. This was the actual, biological, idiotic rule of this world.

She let out a long, slow sigh that carried all the frustration of her entire, miserable life.

Kaya couldn’t believe it. Literally.

Do these people not have common sense? If you want to prove two people are married, you give them a marriage certificate. A ring. Some kind of legal signifier. Who the hell cares about this mating, this scent, this biological nonsense? What was wrong with this world?

But anyway, Kaya didn’t care that much. For her, the plan—her job—was the most important issue. Everything else was just a detail, an obstacle to be overcome.

She looked at Veer, her expression devoid of emotion, and said with chilling practicality, "Then let’s just do it."

Veer paused. "Huh?" He physically recoiled, looking at her as if she’d just suggested they set the room on fire. He could not believe what he was hearing.

Even Cutie and Sparrow, who were in the next room organizing supplies, suddenly went silent. A second later, they both appeared in the doorway, their faces masks of utter shock.

"What?" they said in unison.

Seeing their dumbfounded expressions, Kaya planted her hands on her hips, her posture radiating pure impatience. "What are you all shouting for? You," she said, pointing at Veer, "said those idiots wouldn’t accept us otherwise, right? Then just make it possible."

The three of them stared at her in disbelief. Veer looked like he was short-circuiting. Sparrow looked like he was about to faint.

And Cutie... Cutie’s face was a bare mask of something deeply uncomfortable. It was a chaotic storm of irritation, anger, and a profound, aching helplessness. His hands, hidden at his sides, were clenched into fists so tight his knuckles were white.