The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts-Chapter 614: Pregnancy really changed me, I look like I ate myself
Night fell quickly in winter.
The wind outside howled softly around the palace walls, pushing fine snow against the stone. Inside Isabella’s room, the air was warm and scented with beast oil lamps.
A soft thump and a tiny sneeze interrupted the quiet.
Isabella turned her head just in time to see a small white blur squeeze its way in through the barely open door. Glimora stumbled forward, shaking off little crystals of snow that clung to her fur like stubborn stars. Her ears twitched, her tail lifted, and her eyes immediately locked onto Isabella with an expression that could only be described as dramatic betrayal.
Isabella blinked.
"I was gone for ten minutes," she said. "Ten."
Glimora made a grumbling sound deep in her chest, the kind she used whenever she felt abandoned. She marched across the room with all the determination of a tiny general, climbed onto Isabella’s foot with zero hesitation, and pressed her forehead firmly against Isabella’s leg as though staking her claim.
Isabella felt her heart melt in one slow, warm wave.
This little beast always pretended to be independent when others were watching, but the moment she sensed Isabella preparing to rest or bathe or do anything away from the crowd, she turned into a clingy snowball who could not be left behind.
Glimora gave another pointed grumble, then sniffed Isabella’s belly like she was checking on the babies herself.
"Yes, yes, I am still alive," Isabella muttered, rubbing her fluffy head. "You dramatic little thing."
Glimora purred instantly, her tail curling around Isabella’s ankle like a ribbon.
Zyran’s voice rumbled lazily from outside the doorway.
"She has excellent instincts," he said. "Someone has to guard you."
Glimora puffed up proudly.
Isabella rolled her eyes, but very gently.
"Fine. You can stay."
After dinner was decided, she had given Cyrus clear instructions on what to prepare. He took them to heart, moving around the kitchen like a serious house snake, making sure meat, roots, and grains simmered slowly so everyone could eat hot food later. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Isabella, on the other hand, decided that she needed to take care of herself first.
Her stomach was very round now. When she sat, the babies pressed against her lungs. When she walked too fast, her lower back protested. On top of that, winter cold liked to bite into joints and muscles.
"I am taking a bath here from now on," she announced. "In my room. I am not walking outside through the cold every time."
Zyran, who had been lounging nearby and flipping a small bone between his fingers, immediately straightened.
"I will prepare it," he offered. "You should not carry anything."
Isabella pointed at him.
"You will boil water," she said. "And set up the tub. If the water is too cold, I will drown you in it. If it is too hot, I will throw you out of the window."
Zyran grinned.
"Understood, my goddess," he replied.
He dragged in the big wooden tub they had made not long ago. It had been carved from a whole tree and sealed carefully. Then he went back and forth carrying buckets of water from the inner well, his muscles flexing easily under his clothes.
After filling the tub halfway with cold water, he began heating large stones in the fire pit. Once they glowed faintly, he used long sticks to drop them into the tub, stirring the water so it warmed evenly.
Steam slowly rose, filling the room with a comfortable mist.
Isabella tested the water temperature with her fingers.
It was pleasantly hot, just short of scalding.
"Acceptable," she said. "You may live."
Zyran put a hand to his chest.
"Your mercy shines like the moon," he said in a dramatic voice.
She rolled her eyes.
"Put some furs over there to keep the floor warm," she added, pointing to a corner. "Then you can leave."
Instead of leaving, Zyran suddenly lowered his body. Black mist wrapped around him and his human shape melted and shifted.
In the span of a breath, a large black panther stood where he had been.
The panther shook his fur once, then padded to the far corner of the room and curled up, yellow eyes gleaming in the lamplight.
"I will stay here," his voice sounded in her mind, lazy and deep, one of the little gifts of a divine beast. "In case you need anything. The floor outside is cold. If something happens, there will not be time for me to run in."
Isabella’s mouth twitched.
She folded her arms under her chest and looked at the big cat in the corner.
"You are not going to peek?" she asked suspiciously. "This is my bath."
The black panther let out a soft huff.
"It is very dark," he said. "I will close my eyes. Besides, I am a noble beast. I only want to protect a certain pregnant female who likes to get into trouble."
Isabella thought about it.
It was true that if something happened, calling anyone would take time. Her body felt heavier every day. If she slipped in the tub alone, it would be a real problem.
She turned her head and looked around.
The lamps were few and placed far away from the tub. Shadows wrapped the corners of the room. From where Zyran lay, it seemed like he would not see much.
"Fine," she said at last. "Stay there. Do not come any closer. If you move one paw toward this tub, I will skin you and use your fur as a rug."
(First mistake was believing Zyran)
The panther’s tail flicked lazily.
"Understood," he replied.
Isabella shook her head and began to undress.
She loosened the tie around her animal skin dress and let it slip down, then removed the layers beneath. Pregnancy had filled out her body. Her breasts had grown fuller, her hips rounder. Her belly was a proud, smooth curve.
She caught a glimpse of herself in the polished stone she used as a mirror and paused for a moment.
In the past, she had been slim and quick, ready to run at any time. Now, she looked softer, like the world had draped extra flesh on her bones to protect the lives inside.
"Pregnancy really changed me," she thought. "I look like I ate myself."
