The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts-Chapter 504: I am surrounded by demons

A Dew Guardian?

Isabella blinked at the thought, the words echoing quietly in her mind.

A what?

Her wind spirit floated lazily in the air, arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed with everything around it. For something that was literally made of air, it somehow managed to radiate the exact energy of a grumpy auntie forced to answer stupid questions. "Yes, a dew guardian. A tiny spirit creature that protects the dew in this area of the mountain. Not very complicated."

Isabella blinked at it, blinked again, then leaned in like she was trying to inspect whether this spirit had finally lost its mind. "...that’s a thing?"

The wind spirit sighed dramatically, its whole body swaying side to side like it was reconsidering every life choice that led it to her. "Everything’s a thing if it’s annoying enough," the spirit muttered.

Glimora tilted her head, eyes wide and sparkling like she was trying to memorize every strange word being thrown around. She looked so serious about it... yet absolutely clueless. The little beast girl kept glancing between Isabella and the spirit as if waiting for someone to reveal this was actually a prank.

Osiris, meanwhile, leaned against a rock with the aura of a man who had resigned himself to fate. His broad shoulders relaxed, his face unreadable except for the faint, suffering raise of one brow—like a scholar who had just realized the universe had stopped making sense and he would never know peace again.

"So," Isabella said slowly, "this dew guardian—what is it like?"

The wind spirit yawned dramatically. "Mischievous. Rude. Touchy. A menace. Like someone I know." Her glowing eyes flicked toward Isabella with a smirk.

"Sounds like you," Isabella replied, deadpan.

The spirit gasped. "How dare—"

"How do I summon it?" Isabella interrupted, folding her arms.

The wind spirit shrugged casually, but her face was a little too smug. "I don’t know."

Isabella narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you do. What do you want?"

A beat passed.

Then the spirit grinned. "I want nuts."

"Of course it’s food. What else do you know apart from food?"

"If I didn’t know anything else, you wouldn’t be here begging for my help, would you?" the spirit snapped back.

Isabella dragged a hand down her face. "I am surrounded by demons."

Still grumbling under her breath, she reached into her space with one hand. Only she could see or feel inside, but after a few seconds, her hand reappeared—clutching a pouch full of golden, crunchy nuts.

The wind spirit’s eyes lit up instantly. Her mouth practically watered as she floated closer, arms outstretched like a baby reaching for candy.

Isabella raised her hand out of reach.

The spirit froze mid-air. "Hey!"

"You help me, you get nuts," Isabella said coolly.

The wind spirit scowled but eventually huffed and folded her arms again. "Fine."

Without waiting for more insults, she zipped through the air and hovered low over the rocky ground. She floated closer to one of the scattered glowing stones and started... sniffing.

Yes. Sniffing.

Sniff, sniff, sniff.

Everyone went quiet.

Osiris watched with the most confused expression on his face, his brows furrowed. Even Glimora sat still, ears perked up.

The wind spirit muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, "Where are you, little pest..."

Then suddenly—she stopped.

Her eyes snapped open wide.

"Aha! Got you!" she yelled, and with a little burst of magic from her tiny glowing palms, she smacked the surface of the stone with a spark.

BOOM—

A poof of glowing wind and mist exploded from the rock, and something came flying out—twisting and tumbling through the air like it had just been kicked out of heaven.

"WHO DARES TO DISTURB MY PEACE?!"

The voice was loud.

Dramatic.

Very dramatic.

Isabella’s eyes widened as the creature hovered mid-air, squinting at everyone like they had personally offended it. The tiny thing had glowing wings, misty hair that floated like smoke, and a scowl that could wrinkle mountains.

The Mountain Dew Spirit stared at the group.

Then pointed.

"You!"

Isabella blinked. "Me?"

"No. Her." It pointed at the wind spirit. "You disturbed me."

"Yeah, yeah," the wind spirit replied, twirling in the air. "We need your help. Actually no, she needs your help." She pointed dramatically at Isabella like she was throwing her under a bus.

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Yes. I need your help."

The dew spirit narrowed its eyes. "Why would I help you?"

Isabella paused.

Fair question.

Why the hell should it help her?

As she stood there, trying to think of an answer, her eyes flicked sideways—just in time to catch her own wind spirit eyeing the nut pouch she still held. Its face was twitching. Barely contained longing.

Isabella smirked.

She turned to the Mountain Dew Spirit.

"I’ll give you nuts."

She held up the pouch.

Her wind spirit gasped. "Hey! Those are for me!"

"Not anymore," Isabella replied, eyes still locked on the mountain spirit, who now looked very, very interested. Its expression had shifted from ’grumpy elder’ to ’kid outside a candy store.’

Osiris raised a brow. So this is how she gets things done? Bribery? With snacks?

The mountain spirit cleared its throat. "Okay, what do you want?"

"I need some of your dew," Isabella said quickly.

The spirit’s glowing eyes narrowed.

"Mountain dew?" it said, voice now suspicious.

"Correct," Isabella replied firmly.

"Why do you need my dew?"

"I have use for it," Isabella answered. "Please. I need some of your Ashvine Root."

That changed things.

The Mountain Spirit’s entire aura shifted. Its tiny body floated closer—closer—until it hovered right in front of her face, nose wrinkling, wings flapping softly.

"Why do you need the Ashvine Root?"

"To save someone," Isabella said.

"Who?"

"A loved one."

The spirit stared. Silent. Observing.

Then it slowly flew around her head. Once. Twice. Three times. It squinted at her face, like it was scanning her soul.

But Isabella stood her ground.

She didn’t flinch.

She didn’t lower her eyes.

She didn’t even twitch.

She was tired, cold, annoyed, and on a deadline.

The spirit floated for a few more seconds, tapping its chin dramatically like a cartoon judge.

Then finally, it landed gently on a small rock, crossed its tiny legs, and leaned forward.

"...hmm."