Fat and Ugly Villainess Wins Back Her Five Beast Husband

Serena cried softly, her voice trembling as she tried to explain away the strange reaction of the sacred fire.

"Perhaps the wind suddenly blew the flame smaller," she suggested. "And everyone knows that strange things happen when the gods are displeased. The last time Kaelira’s house was struck by lightning, everyone thought it was a punishment from the gods. But look at her now. She survived, and the gods even chose her to receive the sacred fire."

Her words were carefully chosen.

One sentence after another, Serena subtly redirected the tribe’s suspicion.

If the gods could strike a house with lightning and spare its occupant, then perhaps the sacred fire shrinking before her did not necessarily mean she was guilty.

And if Sora had survived divine punishment before, perhaps the tribe had simply misunderstood what the gods intended.

The crowd gradually grew quieter.

Some of the beastmen exchanged uncertain glances. A few who had initially looked suspiciously at Serena began to hesitate.

Martin watched Sora carefully.

She remained silent.

Seeing that she had no intention of arguing with Serena, Martin finally raised his hand.

"Enough. Continue with the others."

Serena stepped away from the sacred fire with her head lowered, appearing pitiful and wronged.

Inside, however, her heart was pounding.

She had escaped.

At least, that was what she wanted everyone to believe.

One by one, the remaining members of the tribe approached the sacred flame.

For most of them, nothing unusual happened.

Then, unexpectedly, the flame shrank again.

The person standing before it immediately panicked.

"No! It wasn’t me!"

"I didn’t poison the salt!"

"I swear I didn’t do anything!"

Another person stepped forward.

The same thing happened.

The sacred fire diminished.

Then another.

And another.

Soon, several people had experienced the same reaction.

Serena secretly released a breath of relief.

Her expression remained wounded, but her heart had already begun to settle.

See?

It wasn’t only her.

Perhaps the sacred fire really was unreliable.

She glanced toward Sora.

The woman stood calmly among the others, her expression impossible to read.

Serena watched her carefully.

Was Sora hiding something?

Had she somehow manipulated the sacred fire?

But Sora didn’t make the slightest movement.

She simply observed.

By the time the final few people finished, Martin was completely confused.

He turned toward Sora.

"What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

Sora did not immediately answer.

Instead, she looked at the four people who had been singled out by the sacred fire.

Then she smiled faintly.

"Perhaps the gods are giving you a chance to correct your mistakes."

The four people’s expressions changed.

Sora’s voice remained calm.

"You should think carefully tonight. Tomorrow, speak honestly before the sacred fire."

The words were simple.

Yet something about them made the four people nervous.

Before anyone could question her further, Sora turned and walked away.

Martin watched her leave before looking toward the crowd.

"Do as Kaelira said. Everyone disperse for tonight."

The beastmen slowly began leaving the sacred firehouse.

Xavier, Lucas, Ace, Ryan, and Damien followed Sora almost immediately.

They had all expected her to continue investigating.

Instead, the matter appeared to have ended just like that.

None of them believed it.

After walking in silence for a while, Ryan finally couldn’t hold back.

"Kaelira."

She turned around.

Ryan narrowed his eyes playfully.

"You have another plan, don’t you?"

Sora’s lips curved upward.

"Guess."

Under the bright moonlight, her eyes sparkled with mischief.

For a moment, Ryan forgot what he had been asking.

There was something dangerously captivating about the expression on her face.

She looked like a clever fox that had already set its trap and was merely waiting for its prey to walk into it.

Ryan’s heart beat faster.

He stepped closer.

"Tell us."

Sora glanced around.

The tribe was some distance behind them now, and the surrounding wilderness was quiet.

After making sure nobody was nearby, she leaned toward the five beastmen and whispered her plan.

The moment Ace understood what she intended, his eyebrows rose.

"Are you sure they’ll take the bait?"

Sora nodded confidently.

"People who have done something wrong are often more afraid of divine punishment than anything else."

She paused.

"They may pretend to be calm in front of everyone, but they won’t sleep peacefully tonight."

Ryan’s eyes lit up.

"So you’re going to make them expose themselves?"

"Exactly."

Sora looked at the five men.

"You don’t need to confront anyone. Just keep watch. If someone secretly leaves the tribe tonight, follow them. Don’t let them notice you."

The five exchanged glances.

Then they nodded simultaneously.

"No problem."

Sora smiled.

"Good."

Meanwhile, Serena was having a very different kind of night.

She tossed and turned restlessly on her fur blanket.

Sleep refused to come.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the sacred fire shrinking before her.

It had not merely flickered.

It had almost gone out.

Only a few tiny sparks had remained.

Serena swallowed nervously.

What if that really had been a sign from the gods?

What if the gods knew what she had done?

She clenched her fists beneath the blanket.

No.

She couldn’t think like that.

Sora had not directly accused her.

And several other people had also caused the sacred fire to shrink.

That meant there was still a chance.

But Serena couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

She had carefully watched the flames.

The others had caused the sacred fire to diminish, but theirs had never become as weak as hers.

Hers had almost completely disappeared.

What if that was the truth?

What if the gods had actually seen everything?

A chill ran through her body.

She couldn’t take the risk.

She needed forgiveness.

Serena slowly sat up.

If she confessed to the gods before anyone discovered her crime, perhaps they would forgive her.

She hadn’t intended to hurt anyone.

At least, that was what she told herself.

She had only wanted to reclaim what she believed belonged to her.

She had never expected so many people to become sick.

And once this matter passed, she promised herself she would change.

She would do good.

She would never do anything like this again.

But she couldn’t go to the sacred firehouse.

Sora was probably waiting there.

If today’s test had been part of a trap, Sora might already have someone watching the place.

Serena needed somewhere else.

Then she remembered the eastern moon.

When beastmen encountered danger in the wilderness, they often prayed toward the moon and begged the gods for protection.

That would be enough.

She quietly slipped from her dwelling.

Making sure nobody noticed, Serena walked into the darkness.

She continued farther and farther from the tribe until the sounds of the settlement disappeared behind her.

Only then did she stop.

The moon hung brightly in the eastern sky.

Serena slowly lowered herself onto her knees.

She clasped her hands tightly.

"Great gods..."

Her voice trembled.

"The poison salt really was my doing."

She lowered her head.

"But I never wanted to hurt everyone. I only wanted to take back what should have belonged to me."

Her breathing became uneven.

"Please forgive me. I promise I’ll change. From now on, I’ll devote myself to doing good."

A voice suddenly came from behind her.

"So, Serena... it really was you."

Serena froze.

Her blood seemed to turn to ice.

A large group of people emerged from the darkness.

Sora stood at the front.

Behind her were Xavier, Damien, Lucas, Ace, and Ryan.

And among them was Martin.

Serena’s face instantly lost all color.

Her knees weakened.

She collapsed onto the ground.

"No..."

Her lips trembled.

She had been caught.

She had walked directly into Sora’s trap.

Martin stared at her in disbelief.

The disappointment in his eyes hurt more than any accusation.

"Serena..."

His voice was low.

"How could you become like this?"

Serena raised her head.

"Father, I—"

"No."

Martin’s expression hardened.

"I heard everything."

Serena’s mind went blank.

She desperately searched for an explanation.

"I... I was only praying. I didn’t—"

Before she could finish, a splash of water suddenly came from above.

Splash!

Cold water drenched her face.

Serena gasped.

She instinctively covered her eyes.

Sora stood nearby, smiling innocently.

"Just a little water."

She tilted her head.

"You looked like you were about to faint, so I thought I’d wake you up first."

"Kaelira!"

Serena’s voice shook with anger and humiliation.

But before she could say anything else, someone in the crowd suddenly gasped.

"Wait..."

Another person stared at Serena.

"Her face..."

Everyone’s attention shifted.

Serena’s hand slowly moved away from her cheek.

Under the moonlight, her previously fair skin had begun to reveal an ugly yellowish tint.

And scattered across her face were countless tiny red bumps.

They were dense and obvious now that the layer concealing them had been washed away.

The crowd fell silent.

Then whispers erupted.

"Oh, gods..."

"Look at her cheek!"

"What happened to her face?"

"Those red bumps..."

"She looks completely different!"

Some of the females who had previously admired Serena’s beauty stared at her in shock.

One covered her mouth.

"She looks worse than Kaelira now..."

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