The horns echoed again, low and deep, rolling over the estate like thunder.
BOOOOM—
The sound vibrated through the stone under my feet, through the garden table, through my bones.
Riven's ears snapped straight up. Nina went pale.
"That's the King's horn," Riven repeated, already on his feet. "Or a Pillar returning with news."
A lion war general. Royal horns. Urgent news.
My stomach did a little flip.
"Chances it's Karl?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"High," Riven said grimly. "If it were the King himself, there'd be more signals. This is one Pillar. He has that annoying habit of making an entrance."
DING!
NEW QUEST: "Meet the Lion at the Gate"
Objective: Greet Karl on his return without raising his suspicion level above 30%.
Optional: Gain +1 effective affection interaction.
Reward: +10 Body Stability, unlock: Affection Meter Display.
Failure: Increased suspicion, future interactions harder.
"Of course," I muttered in my head. "Of course there's a quest."
SYSTEM:
You wanted a manhwa life. Enjoy the event flags.
"Lady Rose," Nina said softly, hands clenched in her apron, "we should return to your chambers. Lord Karl would be angry if you strain yourself."
Riven snorted. "He'll be angrier if she doesn't show up to greet him."
He glanced at me.
"You know how he is," he added. "Big dramatic entrance, wants his big dramatic wife watching."
Nina looked even more horrified at that phrasing.
"Riven," she hissed. "Watch your—"
"No, he's right," I cut in. "Whatever I usually do, not being there will look weirder."
And I was already acting weird enough.
I stood, smoothing my skirt. Body Control kicked in, making the movement graceful instead of "guy who just reincarnated into a corset."
"Let's go," I said.
Riven's grin flashed back, quick and boyish. "Yes, ma'am."
He fell into step on my right, Nina on my left and half a step behind. To anyone watching, it probably looked exactly like any other day: the Pink Fox heading to the front gate flanked by her guard dog and her maid.
The only difference was that this time, the soul inside the fox's skin wasn't planning which servant to bully.
We cut through the corridors, now buzzing with quickly-hidden activity.
Maids flattened themselves against walls. Guards stood straighter. A butler with deer antlers nearly dropped his entire stack of scrolls when he realized I was coming.
Everyone bowed. No one made eye contact.
"Does he always get a horn when he comes home?" I asked under my breath.
"Only when it's official business," Riven replied. "If the palace escort comes all the way here, it's not for tea."
"War?" I guessed.
"Or close enough," he said.
Nina shot us both a look like she really wished we'd stop talking about war in the hallway.
We reached the grand entrance—a huge set of carved doors already thrown open.
Sunlight poured in through the archway, bright and blinding. The steps leading down were lined with armored soldiers in Karl's colors: deep red and gold, lion emblems on their chests. Their postures were perfect, not a single tail, ear, or wing out of line.
At the foot of the stairs, the main gate stood wide, and just beyond it—
There he was.
Karl rode in at the head of a small column of mounted soldiers, each on beasts that looked like some unholy cross between horses and lions. His own mount was the largest, mane braided with metal rings, paws silent despite its size.
He was still in full armor, the same deep red and gold I'd seen on the others, but his had more weight, more detail. A long cloak flowed behind him, dark as blood in the sunlight. His mane caught the light, bright gold, half-tied back.
Even from here, the pressure he exuded was intense. Like standing too close to a bonfire.
If this were a manhwa, the panel would zoom in on his eyes—narrowed, sharp, dangerous. Comment section: "WHY IS THE LION HUSBAND SO HOT???"
I gripped the stone railing of the entrance landing to keep from fidgeting.
SYSTEM:
Heart rate elevated.
Do you require calm assistance?
"Yes," I thought instantly. "Give me whatever 'cool villainess posture' preset you have."
A wave of chill clarity slid down my spine. My shoulders relaxed, chin tilting at just the right confident angle. My grip on the railing loosened into something more elegant, less "panicked gamer."
Karl's mount reached the bottom of the stairs.
He raised a clawed hand. The entire column halted in one synchronized motion.
His gaze lifted.
Our eyes met.
For a second, the world shrank to a thin line connecting my pink eyes and his golden ones.
His nostrils flared subtly. His expression didn't change, but something coiled in the air between us—tension, curiosity, something else I didn't have the experience to name.
Then he swung down from the saddle in one smooth movement.
A servant darted in to take his reins. He ignored them completely, climbing the steps toward me, boots striking the stone with muffled thuds.
Riven straightened beside me, dropping his casual attitude like a cloak. Nina bowed, head low.
I stayed where I was.
Villainess coat on. Heart sprinting underneath.
"Karl," I said, as he came to a stop two steps below me.
Up close, he looked… tired.
Not physically—he still stood tall, armor fitting like a second skin—but there were faint shadows under his eyes, and his mane looked slightly less perfectly arranged than this morning.
"Rose," he replied.
The way he said my name was different from Joe or Riven. He rolled it in his mouth like something familiar and dangerous. Like he'd said it in anger, in amusement, in bed.
His gaze swept over me, once, from head to toe. Checking if I'd listened and "rested." Checking if I'd broken anything. Checking if I was still… me.
"I told you to stay in your room," he said quietly. There was no bark, no roar—just a low reprimand that sent a shiver down my back anyway.
"I did." I gestured vaguely back toward the manor. "Then I got bored."
Riven coughed into his fist to hide a laugh.
Karl's eyes flicked to him for exactly half a heartbeat before returning to me.
"And your health?" he asked. "Any headaches? Dizziness? Pain?"
Aside from existential? Yes.
But I shook my head. "Better than this morning. The fresh air helped."
He studied my face for a moment, then took another step up, bringing us almost eye to eye.
Up close, he was dangerously handsome in that "will absolutely bite you if you misbehave" way. His pupils were slightly slitted, his irises bright, and from this distance, I could see faint scars tracing his jaw and throat, half-hidden by fur.
"Next time, send for me," he said. "If you want to leave your room."
Riven's brows rose. Nina quietly forgot how to breathe.
…Was that a normal level of protectiveness? Or had my almost-collapse hit harder than I thought?
"I didn't want to disturb your work," I said.
"You are my work," he replied, too quickly, then grimaced as if annoyed at himself. "I mean—your safety is my responsibility."
The System pinged.
MICRO-AFFECTION SHIFT:
Karl – Hidden value fluctuated (+1?)
Commentary: Yes, that was basically a love line. Don't waste it.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
"I'll… remember that," I said instead. Then, with as much casual boldness as I could muster, I tilted my head and added, "Welcome home, by the way."
It was a small thing. Normal wives probably said it all the time.
But from what I remembered, Rose rarely bothered.
Karl went very still.
For half a second, he looked… almost startled.
Then something in his gaze softened. Just a fraction. The edge of his mouth twitched.
"…I'm back," he said.
DING—
OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE PROGRESS:
First "domestic" greeting successfully exchanged.
Emotional atmosphere: +warm
Suspicion level: 12% (Low)
Small affection gain.
"Lord Karl," Nina said quickly, stepping forward just enough to be noticed. "Shall I prepare a bath? You must be tired from the journey."
He didn't look away from me.
"In a moment," he said. "First, I want to…"
He paused, eyes narrowing just slightly.
He leaned forward.
For a terrifying half-second, I thought he was going to kiss me in front of everyone.
Instead, he inhaled deeply next to my neck.
Like an enormous cat… scenting.
Every hair on my body stood on end.
He straightened, frowning faintly. Riven's ears twitched. Nina looked like she wanted to sink through the floor at the intimacy of it.
"You smell… different," Karl said.
Shit.
"Different?" I repeated, forcing myself not to take a step back. "You already said I almost died, remember? Maybe near-death experiences change your scent."
His eyes stayed locked on mine.
Don't flinch, I told myself. Villainess. Cool. Unbothered. High stats in Acting.
Body Control steadied my breathing.
"Is that so," he murmured.
SYSTEM:
Suspicion level: 18%
He senses the soul difference. Keep it under 30%.
"Besides," I said lightly, "you're the one who smells different. Blood, sweat, council stress. Should I be jealous? Did the king keep you overnight?"
Riven made a strangled sound that might have been a laugh. One of the nearby soldiers coughed violently and then pretended he hadn't heard anything.
Karl's lips finally curved—wolfish, amused.
"I didn't realize you missed me enough to be jealous of His Majesty," he said.
There. We were back on familiar, dangerous flirting ground.
"So?" I asked, tilting my head. "Did you bring me anything? Or is it just bad news and tired soldiers?"
He straightened fully and gave a small signal with his fingers.
A soldier stepped forward from the line, carrying a long, slim box wrapped in dark cloth.
"For you," Karl said.
The box was placed carefully on a side table near the entrance.
"What is it?" I asked.
"A weapon," he replied simply.
Nina almost dropped her tray again.
"A—weapon?" she squeaked.
Karl's gaze slid to her, then back to me.
"You keep threatening to kill anyone who upsets you," he said. "I grew tired of you grabbing whatever was closest to hand."
…Had I… weaponized flower vases before?
"Now, at least, you'll have a proper blade," he finished.
The casual way he said it, like "proper knife to match your dress, dear," would've been funny if it weren't so on-brand.
"Open it later," he added. "Not here."
"Why?" I asked.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Because once you touch it," he said quietly enough that only I could hear, "I don't want an audience when you decide to test it."
Oh.
Right.
Original Rose + new weapon = guaranteed incident.
I suddenly became very interested in not touching that box for a while.
"Fine," I said breezily. "Later."
A faint headache pulsed at my temple.
I blinked—and the world tilted.
Not much. Just enough that the stairs seemed to shift under my feet, the bright sunlight sharpening painfully at the edges of my vision.
"—Rose?"
Karl's voice sounded far away for a second.
WARNING:
Sudden strain on unstable body.
Body Stability Attempting Adjustment…
37% → 33%
White dots danced at the edges of my sight.
Onto the stone, my mind supplied helpfully.
Right down the stairs.
Roll, roll, dead. Again.
Nope.
I swayed.
Then a strong arm wrapped around my waist, hauling me forward before I could topple backward down the steps.
The next thing I knew, I was pressed against solid, warm armor, one of Karl's arms banded firmly across my back, the other braced against the railing.
Gasps echoed around the entrance.
"Lady Rose!" Nina cried.
"Oi—!" Riven moved, but stopped when he saw I was already caught.
Karl's face was very, very close. Golden eyes, sharp and intense, filled my field of vision.
"Careful," he growled. "I just brought you back. Don't make me fetch you from the underworld twice."
"I…" My voice came out breathless. "I wasn't going to fall."
"You were."
His hold tightened almost imperceptibly.
My heart thudded hard enough to hurt.
Not attracted. Just scared. Just adrenaline.
Sure.
DING!
EMERGENCY STABILITY ANCHOR TRIGGERED
Strong physical contact with bonded mate detected.
Emotional state: flustered / vulnerable / protected
Body Stability: 33% → 42%
My whole body loosened involuntarily in relief.
Karl felt it.
His expression shifted again—less frustration now, more… something else.
"You really are unstable," he muttered. Then, to Nina: "She's not leaving the manor grounds for the next three days. No carriages. No garden walks without guard. No stairs without someone holding her."
"Y‑yes, Lord Karl!" Nina stammered.
To the soldiers: "Everyone out. I want the entrance clear."
"Sir!"
In a few quick motions, the crowd melted away, leaving just the three of us… and then, as Riven took a hint and backed off, just two.
He hadn't let go of me.
"If you let me stand," I said quietly, "I won't go anywhere."
He considered me for one long, searching moment.
Then, instead of letting go, he did something entirely worse.
He scooped me up.
Bridal-style.
In full view of the empty-but-not-that-empty courtyard.
"WHAT—?!" I yelped, grabbing instinctively at his armor. "I can walk!"
"You just proved otherwise," he said, completely unmoved. "We're going to your room."
My face burned.
"System," I snarled silently, "this is not what I meant by affection quest!"
SYSTEM:
Your stability increased by 9% and you're in his arms.
Stop complaining.
My old, male ego was somewhere crying in a corner. My new, female body was… disturbingly okay with the warmth and security.
I decided not to unpack that right now.
Karl carried me back through the corridors like it was nothing. I could feel muscles shifting under the armor with each step, hear the faint rattle of metal, smell that mix of steel, sweat, and faint wild musk.
Servants ducked out of sight before we even turned the corners. Those unlucky enough to see us scrambled to bow so fast they nearly crashed into each other.
The Pink Fox, cradled in the Lion's arms.
If there were manhwa sound effects, this would be the "Kyaa—!" panel.
We reached my room.
Karl kicked the door open with one boot—rude, but effective—and strode straight to the bed, setting me down carefully on the soft mattress.
For a second, he didn't move away.
I could feel the dip of the bed under his knee, the weight of his hand braced beside my hip.
Our faces were close again. Too close.
Slowly, he exhaled.
Then he straightened, stepping back just enough to breathe properly.
"Stay here," he said. "Rest. No more heroic stair descents."
I propped myself up on my elbows.
"What happened at the palace?" I asked. "The horns, the escort… what's going on?"
He hesitated.
"We'll discuss it later," he said. "After you—"
"No." My own voice surprised me with its firmness. "Tell me now. I'm not that fragile."
His eyes hardened a little.
"In the council," he said slowly, "word came from the northern border. There were attacks on the outposts."
"By who?" I asked. "Other beast tribes?"
He paused.
"…Humans," he said.
My breath caught.
Humans.
"In armor none of our scouts recognized," he continued. "Using weapons that cut through scales and fur like paper. The survivors swear they smelled… nothing. No beast. No animal. Just iron and smoke."
The System hummed faintly, like something about this sounded… familiar.
SYSTEM:
Data similarity: High.
Suspected involvement: [REDACTED – PLOT LOCKED]
Memory unlock available in: 18 hours 09 minutes
Of course.
Karl's gaze sharpened.
"The king wants us to investigate," he said. "Discreetly. Before panic spreads."
"Us?"
"My legion. Joe's unit. Seth and Aleron's forces will be involved if necessary." His jaw clenched. "And in the middle of this, my rare human wife nearly dies for reasons no healer can explain."
He leaned forward, resting his knuckles lightly on the mattress near my thigh.
"I will not leave you unprotected while we deal with this," he said.
Possessive. Heavy. Absolute.
Dangerous, but… safe.
For once in my life, someone was thinking of me first in a crisis.
It made my chest ache in a way I didn't want to examine too closely.
"I'm not planning to run toward any swords," I said softly. "I promise."
I hesitated.
Then, because the old me would never, and the new me needed to try, I reached up—
—and touched his mane.
Just lightly. Fingers brushing through the thick, surprisingly soft hair near his ear.
His entire body stilled.
His pupils narrowed, then expanded again. His hand on the mattress curled into a fist.
In the beastman stories, touching the mane—or ears, or tail—was intimate. Almost as intimate as a kiss.
"What are you doing, Rose?" he asked, voice gone lower, rougher.
"Anchoring myself," I said honestly. "You're… real. This isn't just some fever dream."
His throat worked.
The System went berserk.
DING!
OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE COMPLETE:
First affectionate interaction with a husband achieved.
Conditions:
– Voluntary intimate touch
– Mutual heightened emotional state
Reward applied:
– Body Stability: 42% → 55%
– AFFECTION METER UNLOCKED
A new window slid smoothly into view behind Karl's broad shoulders, half-transparent.
Karl Velenhart – Lion Tribe
Affection: 12/100
Trust: 9/100
Suspicion: 15/100
Joe Varyn – Drake Tribe
Affection: 3/100
Trust: 6/100
Suspicion: 8/100
Riven Clawtail – Hound Tribe
Affection: 5/100
Trust: 4/100
Suspicion: 2/100
Not great. Not terrible.
Karl's eyes searched mine, trying to categorize this new, small tenderness from the woman who used to treat affection like a weapon.
"If you're going to touch me like that," he said finally, voice a low rumble, "don't do it just because you're dizzy."
He leaned in, just close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek.
"Do it because you want to," he finished.
Heat shot straight to my ears.
"I…" I began, then clamped my mouth shut before my brain could betray me.
What was I supposed to say?
I'm a guy from another world and my brain is lagging, but yes, your hair is nice?
I pulled my hand back slowly.
"Rest now," Karl said, straightening. "We'll talk more later. About everything."
He turned toward the door, then paused with his hand on the handle.
Without looking back, he added, "And Rose?"
"Yes?" I replied, heart still pounding.
"Don't make any more wishes under strange moons," he said. "I don't like waking up to the smell of death on you."
The door thudded shut behind him.
Silence flowed into the room like water.
I lay back on the bed, staring up at the carved ceiling, my fingers still tingling with the feel of his mane.
"System," I whispered.
SYSTEM:
Yes, Host?
"…This time," I said, "I don't want to die. Or watch everyone else die while I just… exist."
SYSTEM:
Then don't.
You've already changed the script.
Keep going.
I exhaled slowly.
Affection meters, stability bars, war flags, jealous beast husbands, suspicious lion generals, mysterious human invaders.
And me, a former nobody from a cheap train, lying in silk sheets in a villainess's body.
"If the story's really starting now," I murmured, eyes closing,
"then I'll be the one to turn the pages."