The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts-Chapter 587: They are scared of me, not the other way around
The men were stunned into silence as the severed arm hit the ground with a dull, heavy sound.
Their eyes widened, and not one of them dared to take a breath too loudly. The blood spraying across the forest floor looked almost unreal to them, because none of them expected a pregnant female to slice off a three-striped beastman’s entire arm with just one swing of that strange pink object she held so casually.
Even the villagers who came out for hunting froze where they stood. Their mouths hung open, and their hands trembled around their weapons.
They all knew Isabella was a bit scary and not to be messed with, but they had never seen her like this before.
Immediately they took a mental note to really never mess with Isabella again.
She had cut off that arm like she was brushing off dust.
They all turned to Kian as if expecting him to attack her by instinct, simply because a man’s body part lay on the floor. But Kian didn’t even blink.
His claws had retracted halfway as if his body didn’t know what to do. His chest rose and fell faster than normal, and his dark eyes stayed fixed on Isabella’s small frame, trying to understand how she did something even he would need effort for.
Cyrus looked like he had forgotten how to speak. His mouth opened, then closed again. His hand hovered near Isabella’s back, unsure if he should shield her or the world from her.
Zyran was the one who reacted the loudest. He jumped slightly at the sight of the falling arm and then clutched his own arm for no reason, checking if it was still attached.
His mouth twitched, and for the first time since anyone met him, he had no shameless comment. He just stared at her with a mixture of fear and admiration.
Osiris was the only one who didn’t look surprised at first, but even he needed a second to collect himself. His shoulders stiffened, and he exhaled deeply, his face pale.
He muttered under his breath, "Ah. Yes. She is doing it again." Then he rubbed his own neck nervously because last time she fought like that, she had beheaded a mountain hog without even sweating.
The intruders, who moments ago thought Isabella was just a pretty female blocking their way, stumbled backward all at once. They clutched their weapons with shaky hands, their legs bent as if ready to run, and their eyes darted around, searching for an escape route.
"She... she’s a demon," one whispered, but his voice cracked so badly the word barely left his throat.
Another shook violently. "What kind of female is that? She tore off Drenn’s arm like— like she was cutting a leaf!"
One of them lifted his trembling weapon toward her. "Stay back! Stay away from us! We—we serve city lords! You touch us again and you’ll never see tomorrow!"
Another joined him, loudly because fear made his tongue loose. "Fangridge City will come for you! You think you can kill us and walk away? That city will burn your entire tribe! They won’t spare your mate or your cub!"
Their threats cracked mid-sentence. They were trying to convince themselves they still had power.
Isabella raised her gaze from her fan. She tilted her head slightly, almost curious.
"What makes you think you will get to leave?" she asked softly.
Her tone wasn’t threatening. But the intruders flinched so hard that one of them fell backward onto the ground.
Isabella took one single step forward.
All four men beside her immediately reacted at once.
Cyrus grabbed her arm gently.
Zyran grabbed her other arm, panicked.
Osiris held the back of her dress like she was about to run off a cliff.
Kian moved in front of her so fast that his shadow blurred, blocking her path like a living wall.
Isabella blinked at them.
"It’s okay," she said, sounding confused about why four large beastmen were treating her like she was the one who needed protection. "They are scared of me, not the other way around."
Zyran almost choked at those words, and a villager coughed loudly in shock.
The intruders looked even more terrified, which made the situation unintentionally funnier.
Isabella pulled her hands free and lifted her fan slowly. The men backed away without meaning to, their feet dragging through leaves and dirt.
"You said the beast belongs to Fangridge," Isabella began as she looked at the trembling men. "That already sounds wrong. A beast like this is not something a city ruler would send you to hunt. They would send elites, not sneaking poachers with torn clothes and stolen weapons."
The intruders stiffened, exchanging nervous glances.
She continued. "Second, if this really belonged to Fangridge, you would have identification from the city. Instead, you are wearing a mixture of hides from different tribes. Some even have burn marks on them. That means you didn’t just hunt illegally. You probably stole your markings and weapons too."
One man’s lips parted in shock.
Another whispered, "How did she know that?"
Isabella didn’t stop. "Third, you have been trying to keep the beast alive." Her eyes sank. "Which means you were not planning to deliver it to anyone. You were planning to sell it behind their backs. Someone must have paid you to retrieve something important. Something rare. Something worth killing for. And if you betray them... they will come for your lives."
The intruders’ faces immediately turned pale.
They didn’t dare speak.
In Isabella’s mind, Bubu finally sighed loudly.
[Wow. You are exposing their family tree now. Should I clap?]
She ignored her.
The intruders stood rigid and terrified. They had never felt so naked in front of a female.
"How did she know?" one whispered. "How did she see through us?"
Zyran clutched his own arm again. "My mate is going to make me bald from stress," he whispered loudly to Cyrus.
Osiris glared. "At least she is not slashing you."
Isabella lowered her fan as if bored. "Tie them," she said to the village hunters. "All of them. Whoever can still walk, tie them. Whoever can’t, drag them."
The villagers moved quickly. They were scared of Isabella, but they were loyal too. They disarmed the intruders, bound their wrists with tough vines, and pushed them toward the path leading back to the village.
Some intruders cursed.
Some cried.
Some begged loudly, promising gold and precious stones.
Their legs shook so much that two of them fell repeatedly.
The entire procession looked pitiful, but Isabella did not soften even once.
She walked behind them, fanning herself lightly, as if nothing about the forest full of blood bothered her.
Zyran walked beside her, still periodically touching his own limbs to ensure they were intact. "You know... you look prettier every time you fight violently. I don’t know if that is normal, but I’m accepting it."
She gave him a side glance. "Your brain is not normal."
He grinned proudly. "I know."
Kian stayed close behind her, quiet and protective. Cyrus walked on her left, keeping an eye on the prisoners. Osiris walked ahead, making sure none of the tied men tried to run.
They reached the village border when one of the prisoners, an older man with shaking legs and a voice that kept cracking, suddenly blurted out to save himself,
"Fine, we will talk! We—we were supposed to take the beast to Duskspire! They buy rare creatures. They buy females too! Please, don’t kill us, please!"
The villagers froze.
Even Isabella stopped walking.
Duskspire.
She knew she had heard that before.
Her breath stilled for a moment as she tried to remember where.
The name floated just out of reach.
Then she looked to her left.
Cyrus wasn’t looking at her anymore.
He was staring at the ground.
His jaw clenched, his shoulders stiff.
He looked guilty.
Almost scared.
She stared at him quietly.
