"And whose fault is that, Lizard?" she snapped, stepping into his personal space until she could feel the literal furnace-heat radiating from his chest. She pointed a finger at the shredded remains of her rough-spun top lying in the dirt. "You’re the one who ripped it off because you couldn’t keep your mouth to yourself. If you’re so worried about ’eyes,’ maybe you should have thought about that before you acted like a beast in heat."

Caspian flinched, his throat emitting a small, embarrassed puff of smoke. He looked at the ruined cloth, then back at her, his jaw tightening. "I... I was establishing the bond. It was instinct."

"Your ’instinct’ is a nuisance," Hana countered.

She ran a tired hand through her hair again, the movement causing her breasts to sway—a sight that made Caspian’s pupils dilate until his eyes were almost entirely black.

She looked down at herself, then back at the two of them. She felt sticky, covered in the cooling residue of two different beastmen and the dirt from the forest floor.

The ’Wicked Survivor’ in her was screaming for a reset. This was definitely not the way to live.

"I’m not eating that raw, bloody mess you two called ’food’ until I’ve scrubbed your scents off my skin," she said, her voice dropping into a cold, non-negotiable tone. "I need a bath. Now. And I need spice leaves so that meat doesn’t taste like blood and regret."

Raiden, who had been watching the exchange with a lazy, perverted grin from his spot by the fire, spoke up, as if he had been waiting for this cue.

"There is a deep pool just past the Peppercorn vines, Great Female. The water is cold, but clear." His cunning habit began to show. "I could... Escort you? To ensure no ’eyes’ wander where they shouldn’t?"

"You stay right there, Fox," Caspian snarled, his scales flaring orange. "If you follow us, I’ll peel those nine tails off one by one."

Caspian turned back to Hana, his expression a mix of hunger and protectiveness. He reached out, his thick fingers hovering near her shoulder but not quite touching.

"I will go with you and stand guard. Nothing will see you. Not even the wind."

Hana rolled her eyes, pushing past him. "Fine. Stand guard. But if I catch you ’guarding’ with your eyes instead of your back, I’ll blindfold you."

He darted his eyes away. He couldn’t make promises. Not when she had such a great body, and her breasts were so delicious when he tasted them.

Hana marched forward, going towards the direction of the peppercorn vines where the pool was located, her head held high.

She didn’t have a shirt, her neck and back were branded by two different predators, and she was carrying a dragon’s heir, but she was still the one in control.

As she walked, she could hear the heavy footsteps of the Dragon following her at a respectful distance, and the soft rustle of the Fox’s tails as he settled back into his ’obedient’wait.

She didn’t trust his cunningness. She didn’t even trust that he would be obedient for long.

But as long as she had his mark, she guessed there was nothing he could do against her.

Right now, she just needs that bath. And then, she was going to turn these two feral beasts into the best kitchen staff this world had ever seen.

The sound of rushing water grew louder as Hana pushed through a thicket of leaves.

The air here was cooler, smelling of crushed spice and wet stone. She reached the pool Raiden had mentioned—a deep, blue shimmering pool fed by a small, silver trickle of a waterfall from the towering cliff.

She didn’t hesitate and stepped towards the edge, but just as she peeled her skirt off, she felt the heavy heat of Caspian’s presence stop exactly five paces behind her.

"Turn around," Hana commanded, her voice firm.

Caspian let out a low, frustrated huff, smoke curling from his nostrils. "Hana, I am a King. I do not stand with my back to the world like a common guard."

"Then you can be a King with a spear in his eye," she countered, not even looking back as she began to untie the rough hide belt at her waist. "I’m not joking, Caspian. Eyes on the forest, or I’m sleeping in a tree tonight—alone."

The threat was no different from a bluff since she knew she couldn’t sleep in a tree, but the threat of being distanced from her worked better than anything else.

With a grumbled curse in the ancient dragon tongue, Caspian turned. He stood with his back to the water, his massive shoulders blocking the only path into the clearing.

His tail lashed restlessly, thumping against the dirt like a warning drum.

"Nothing will pass me," he rumbled, his voice thick with a mix of duty and suppressed longing. "But hurry. The scent of your skin in the water... it carries."

Hana ignored him and slipped into the pool. The water was ice-cold, shocking her system and snapping her into a sharp, clear focus. She let out a long breath, the ’Wicked Survivor’ finally feeling a moment of relief, and then she looked down.

The water rippled, but she could faintly see her reflection. The brown hair, brown eyes... the face, none of it was hers.

Slowly, she brought her hand to her face and caressed it. Was it because the zombies ate her body that she could not wake up with at least a similar appearance to her real self? As if her existence had been erased.

New face, but same name and same soul... But maybe, she could start all over.

Here, there were no zombies, but there were beasts. There were no betrayed families, but there were families to be made. Her hand slowly went down to her belly inside the water and brushed it. She was pregnant and would eventually make a family of her own.

The thought made her mouth taste bitter, but she couldn’t exactly do anything about it. A family... she would create one if that was what the damn system wanted her to do. So long as she could keep living.