CHAPTER 357: CHAPTER-357

’What kind of idiot hired them?’ If the goal was to kill her, you’d think they would have done some basic research into what she was capable of. But no, they were treating her like she was just some clueless girl on a date.

Even Sparrow had noticed. He’d caught up to her near the market’s edge, tilted his head, and gave her a look that clearly said, ’Are you seeing this?’

Kaya just nodded.

Whatever. They weren’t a threat. They were a joke.

That day, Kaya didn’t bother with anything else. She returned to the inn, ate a calm dinner, and went to her room. She fell asleep almost instantly, not giving the four stooges another thought.

’’’

In the shadows of her room, Cutie sat silently, watching her breathe. He’d been there for an hour, a silent guardian.

He wasn’t worried. He’d already dealt with the mongoose and the fox—a few well-placed threats and the reveal of a very sharp knife had sent them scrambling.

Veer was, at that very moment, "handling" the wolf. Last Cutie heard, Veer was talking the poor guy’s ear off, probably trying to get his life story while simultaneously flirting. The wolf would be emotionally exhausted but unharmed.

And Sparrow had cornered the bird creature in an alleyway. He wasn’t doing anything. Just standing there, staring. The silence was probably more terrifying than any threat.

Kaya didn’t need to know. She had her mission, and they had theirs: to make sure nothing ever got close enough to be a real problem. As he watched her sleep, her face finally at peace, Cutie allowed himself the smallest, rarest of smiles. She was ridiculous. And she was theirs to protect.

The next day, Kaya woke up feeling like she was on fire.

It wasn’t a fever, not in the way she understood it. There was no sneezing, no cough, no ache in her bones. It was just a clean, searing heat running through her veins, a bonfire lit deep inside her. Kaya couldn’t understand it.

She’d already taken a cold bath, hoping to quench the strange inferno, but the relief lasted only moments before the heat returned, even stronger. She looked out the window, puzzled by the world outside. Back home, seasons followed a predictable pattern. Here, in this mountainous region so far from the plains, the weather did what it wanted. A biting cold lingered in the capital’s air, even though it felt like summer should have already been in full swing.

Kaya threw the large window open, letting the chilly morning air rush in. She sat on the sill, rubbing her forehead in irritation as the cold air hit her heated skin. It did nothing. The fire was internal.

And it wasn’t just her body. Her eyes felt strange, too. She rubbed them slightly. They didn’t itch or sting, but they felt... warm, like even her gaze was smoldering.

She gritted her teeth. She did not say anything. Maybe she was sick. Some strange local ailment she’d picked up.

Whatever it was, she didn’t care. She would not let it interfere. The plan would go forward, no matter what. She would not allow some stupid fever to be a problem.

But as she pushed the thought away, another one crept in, unbidden. A flash of the night before—of Veer’s hands, his mouth, the feeling of him deep inside her.

She shoved the memory down. It was a transaction. Nothing more. This was just a fever.

It had to be.

.

.

.

Kaya sat on the ground, a small stool in front of her serving as a makeshift breakfast table. A bowl of steaming soup sat untouched, alongside some wild fruits and dried meat that one of the others had brought.

She stared at the food, feeling no hunger at all. The steam rising from the bowl was suffocating, adding to the intense heat already burning through her body. She just looked at the soup, a deep frown creasing her brow.

Cutie, who missed nothing, noticed her stillness. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yeah, I’m fine," Kaya answered automatically. She tried to appear calm, picking up her spoon and stirring the soup she had no intention of eating. "So, what about yesterday? Our followers?"

Cutie shook his head. "Dealt with. They were just street thugs. Someone gave them a few small power stones and told them to follow you. That’s all they knew."

Kaya nodded. She’d figured as much.

"There’s something else," Cutie continued, his expression grim. "They couldn’t remember who hired them. It was like the memory was just... gone."

Kaya paused, the spoon still in her hand. "This is interesting." She looked at Veer. "Beastmen have different kinds of powers, right? Is there one like this?"

Veer considered it for a moment. "Every beastman bloodline has different abilities. Erasing memories... that’s a high-level power. Rare. Not many can do it."

"Oh," Kaya said, her gaze distant.

Veer watched her listlessly stir the soup, her face flushed in the cool morning air. "So, what’s the plan for today? Are we heading to the capital?"

Kaya stopped stirring. She looked up, her eyes strangely bright, and said, "I’m staying here today. You guys go on without me."

The effect was instantaneous. All three of them froze. Veer, Cutie, and Sparrow stared at her, their expressions a mixture of shock and immediate concern. This wasn’t Kaya. The Kaya they knew never stopped, never rested, never stayed behind.

"Are you okay?" Cutie asked again, his voice serious, all pretense gone.

Kaya looked at their three shocked faces and felt a surge of irritation. "What? I’m just taking a day. Don’t look at me like I’ve grown a second head."

Veer was the first to move, pushing himself to his feet. His usual playful grin was gone, replaced by a deep frown. "A day? You? The woman who thinks sleeping is a waste of valuable mission time?" He reached a hand out toward her forehead. "You’re flushed. Let me just check—"