The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts-Chapter 538: The Spirit Village Misunderstanding
Isabella’s brain had left her body. She did not know where it went, but she was sure it was somewhere lying face-first on the ground screaming into the dirt.
Because the moment she denied being Osiris’ mate, the half-horse man blinked once and pointed at her belly with alarming accuracy.
"But you are pregnant."
Isabella opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
She forgot how to speak for a second.
Then her soul returned to her body with a vengeance.
"How does that make it his children," she snapped, hands flying to her hips. "How do you even know I am pregnant. It is not that big yet. It is literally the size of a bowl of porridge. It could just be bloating."
The half-horse man frowned at her like girl, please.
Then he said, with total confidence, "Oh. You have a serpent mate."
The entire village stiffened.
Isabella blinked once.
Twice.
Then again, slow, confused, offended.
Osiris blinked too, but his blink was more like so she has a serpent mate.
"How do you know the species of their father," Isabella said, voice flat. "In fact, why are we even having this conversation. This is weird. We should leave. We are leaving."
She grabbed Osiris’ arm again and marched forward.
She did not care that her grip was violent.
She did not care that she was dragging a prince of the Phoenix Clan like a stubborn cow.
Osiris hissed, "Ow. Let go."
"No," she said. "I will drag you if I must."
Every creature in the clearing stared at them in fascinated horror, like they were watching a rare animal documentary.
One of the winged spirits whispered to her friend, "This is beautiful. Is this courtship."
The friend shook her head, whispering, "No. This is something else. Something dangerous."
Isabella did not hear them.
She was too busy dragging Osiris toward the bushes like she was removing trash.
But the half-horse man stepped in front of them.
"You cannot leave," he said.
"Oh yes we can," Isabella said. "Watch us."
"No," he repeated. "If you leave now, the dark hour will meet you."
Isabella scoffed. "Do not worry. It has met us many, many times. We will survive again."
And that was when her system exploded in her skull like a nosy aunt at a wedding.
BUBU perked up.
Loud.
Annoying.
"Take his advice," the system said.
Isabella’s eyelid twitched. "And do what. Stay in a random village full of half-fish people and tree spirits and strange creatures. Should I knit a family tree with them as well." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
"Yes," the system said. "Exactly that. You need to stay."
Isabella stared into the void.
Her brain cracked slightly.
Because now everyone was against her.
Again.
Her system wanted her to stay.
These weird mountain people wanted her to stay.
Her unborn children were making her more tired, so they were not helping.
Glimora was perched on her shoulder like a decorative guilt ornament.
And Osiris...
She looked up at him.
Her glare was so intense Osiris physically flinched.
"It is not my fault," he whispered quickly. "I did not do anything."
Her smile was insane. "So it is my fault. I dragged myself here. I forced myself to deal with you. Yes. That makes sense."
Osiris’ lips parted in panic. "That is not what I meant."
Before she could stab him with her fan, an elderly woman approached.
This woman was... something else.
Her upper body looked human, but her lower half shimmered like flowing mist. Her hair floated as if underwater. Her eyes glowed faintly like warm lanterns.
She smiled gently.
"Do not be afraid," she said. "We will provide accommodation and food for the night. Prince Osiris, you are welcome in our humble village."
Isabella blinked.
The words Prince Osiris stabbed her heart like a fork.
She still wasn’t used to that.
She did not like it.
She did not enjoy it.
She did not want to be near any prince.
Especially not this one.
But she forced out a stiff smile.
"Fine," she said politely. "We will stay. For one night. One."
Her system clapped in excitement like a demon child.
The elderly woman gestured for them to follow.
Isabella walked.
Osiris walked behind her.
The whole village whispered as they passed.
"He is alive."
"The Phoenix Prince has returned."
"His mate is fierce."
"She almost stabbed him."
"It is beautiful."
Osiris pretended he did not hear.
Isabella pretended she did not exist.
The woman led them to a small hut carved into the stone wall. It glowed softly, warm and welcoming, and Isabella’s guard lowered slightly.
"This will be your room for the night," the woman said.
Isabella blinked.
One room.
"One room," Isabella repeated. "Why one room. Why not two. I do not want to stay with him."
The woman opened her mouth to answer.
Osiris moved faster.
He leaned forward, behind Isabella, and made a quick hand gesture to the woman.
A secret hand gesture.
A desperate hand gesture.
Do not agree.
The woman frowned, confused.
Isabella turned around at the perfect moment.
The woman straightened instantly.
Osiris acted normal.
"Yes," he said loudly. "We do not want to stay in the same room. I also do not like her. She is annoying."
Isabella squinted. "What did you just say."
But the woman suddenly understood something.
Ah.
So the prince wanted the woman to stay with him.
(Stone Age courting style)
How lovely.
"There is no other room," the elderly woman said. "Our village is small. Not many houses."
Isabella inhaled sharply and muttered, "Fine."
The woman left politely.
Isabella turned slowly.
She stared at Osiris with the face of a woman who had been tortured by his existence for too long.
"If there is a bed," she said coldly, "you are sleeping on the floor. I am sleeping on the bed."
Osiris shrugged. "Whatever. I am hungry."
Isabella reeled back. "What. What do you take me for. Your maid. Should I go hunting and cooking for you too. Osiris, you are a grown man. Stop telling me whenever you are hungry."
Osiris blinked. "But you make the best food."
The way he said it.
The softness.
The almost shy honesty.
The little drop of need in his tone.
Something clicked inside Isabella’s brain.
Her eyes widened.
Her head turned toward him in slow motion.
She realized something.
She realized something dangerous.
Something that made her freeze.
