I Became the Villainess, But My Beast Husbands Can Hear My Mind?!

Chapter 214: Be Quiet and Just Breathe

Roxanna had always known that the people of the Vixeria Tribe were kind, but she never expected them to be this kind.

From the moment she stepped out of the hut, everyone treated her like a treasure. They pampered her so much that she didn’t even need to lift a hand to eat.

"Leader, you should announce your pregnancy to everyone!" Grandma Mia said, gently scolding her while feeding her a piece of watermelon. "Yes, some of us already know, but still... it should be said properly."

Hearing that, Roxanna suddenly realized something. She had never actually told the whole tribe about her pregnancy.

The only reason some people knew was because of that chaotic fight between her husbands, the one where they even threw Azul into the well.

While Roxanna was recalling that incident, she suddenly heard the system’s voice.

[Ding! Ding!]

[Side Mission Activated: Destroy the Vixeria Tribe!]

[Goal: Make the people of the Vixeria Tribe want to destroy the tribe, and then rebuild it from zero.]

[Reward:

The Tongue of An Angel — Effect: Increases the chance that people will listen to and follow your words by 40%]

[Warning: The Vixeria Tribe’s layout will be difficult to change if you cannot convince the residents to rebuild it now.]

Roxanna was taken aback when she saw the reward offered by the system. All this time, the people around her had rarely dismissed her requests, maybe because she delivered them well, or because they thought she was harmless.

However, if she could obtain that passive skill, she would be able to build good relationships with other tribes just through her communication skills.

The marketing team would definitely love something like this.

"Leader?" Grandma Mia tapped her shoulder when she saw Roxanna go quiet. "What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Roxanna immediately shook her head. "No, no! You’re right, Grandma Mia. I really should announce my pregnancy officially to everyone here."

She was the leader, after all. Her child would not be just any child, but it would be someone important to the tribe.

"I will announce it tonight." Roxanna smiled brightly as she held Grandma Mia’s hands. "Thank you for your advice, Grandma Mia. I really appreciate it."

As a new leader, there were still many things Roxanna needed to learn, especially since she had never taken on a leadership role in her past life. That was why she truly appreciated people who pointed out her mistakes, so she could learn to become a better leader.

On the other hand, Grandma Mia was so touched by Roxanna’s bright smile that she felt guilty for speaking a bit harshly to her earlier.

"T-Take your time, Leader," she said softly. "I only said that because I want everyone to hear this happy news."

Roxanna nodded with a bright, cheerful expression. "Of course, Grandma Mia! I’ll make sure to share good news with everyone from now on!"

In the beast world, there were too many bad things happening, whether it was attacks from demon beasts, the death of loved ones, or the declining birth rate.

That was why even a small piece of happiness could feel so precious, like rain falling in the middle of a scorching desert.

As the sun slowly disappeared from the sky, more people came to Roxanna’s hut. Most of them seemed to think they were simply invited to eat together, not because they were going to discuss something important.

Well, there’s a saying that a good meal can also lead to good moods.

That was why Roxanna waited until everyone had filled their stomachs with the dishes cooked by Cyrus and Azul—some of the residents also helped, though not much—and had a bit of alcohol to lift their mood.

"Do you want to eat something else?" Zeir asked as he walked toward Roxanna, who had been sitting on the edge of the terrace. Her legs were hanging down, and she swung them back and forth a few times.

"Nope. I’m already full." She leaned forward and patted her stomach a few times. "See? Even my stomach looks a bit round."

Zeir couldn’t help but touch her stomach as well. "It has looked like that since the beginning."

Roxanna narrowed her eyes. [So, I’m fat.] She quickly rejected the thought. [Wait, no, no, I’m pregnant now, so of course my stomach will be round!]

Before her thoughts could drift somewhere negative, Zeir immediately said, "But that’s a good thing, right?" he said. "It means your body is protecting our baby with your fat, and it also shows that you’ve been eating well."

For some reason, he already knew that if they continued talking about this, Roxanna’s expression would only get worse. So he quickly changed the topic. "I heard from Grandma Mia that you want to announce your pregnancy to everyone here."

As soon as the topic changed, her expression shifted as well. She let out a soft sigh and lowered her head. "Yes, but suddenly I feel nervous because I’m going to ask something difficult from them."

It was rare for Roxanna to express her true feelings like this, so Zeir cherished the moment. He stepped closer, close enough to shield her entire body from others.

"Zeir." Roxanna lifted her head when she saw her husband standing right in front of her. "When you first became a commander, did you ever feel worried that you couldn’t meet people’s expectations?"

Zeir took her hands and answered in a gentle voice. "Yes," he said. "Even until now."

"Really?" Roxanna tilted her head slightly, her round eyes still looking at him. "You don’t look nervous."

[Honestly, I rarely see Zeir lose his temper,] Roxanna thought. [He’s always so calm and reliable, so I thought he wouldn’t get nervous easily like me.]

"Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t real," Zeir replied patiently. "Everyone deals with their feelings in different ways, but I believe we all have the ability to feel the same emotions."

"True." Roxanna let out an awkward chuckle, suddenly feeling bad for thinking that Zeir couldn’t feel certain emotions just because he didn’t show them as openly as Calen. "I should get to know you better."

Zeir sighed softly. "You’ve known me for less than a year, so it’s normal if you don’t know much about me yet. I also don’t know much about you."

Roxanna didn’t reply right away, but she spoke in her mind. [Really? I feel like he has known me well from the beginning.]

"But we can learn," Zeir continued. "We have a long time to get to know each other, so just be patient."

"I’ll try to be more patient," Roxanna said with a small smile. "But back to the earlier topic—when you feel nervous, what do you usually do?"

Zeir tightened his grip on her hands, then said, "Everyone has their own way of handling their feelings, but for me... I usually just take some time to stay quiet before doing something that makes me nervous."

Roxanna raised one eyebrow and couldn’t help but chuckle. "Just stay quiet? Like a statue?"

Zeir nodded. "Yes." He then sat down beside her. "Just stay quiet and breathe. That way, I can clear my mind for a moment, so I can think more clearly before I act," Zeir finished in a calm voice.

He leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting toward the night sky. "If I let my emotions take over, I might make the wrong decision. But if I give myself a moment, even just a short one, I can steady myself again."

Roxanna listened quietly, her fingers still wrapped around his. "I see," she said softly.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The evening breeze brushed past them, gentle and cool, carrying the distant sounds of laughter and chatter from the people gathered near the hut.

Roxanna slowly looked down at her hands, then tightened her grip on Zeir’s.

"Do you want to try it?" Zeir suddenly asked. "Just stay quiet and breathe until all the negative thoughts in your mind slowly disappear."

Roxanna hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright. I’ll try."

She adjusted her position slightly, sitting up straighter beside him. Her fingers were still wrapped around Zeir’s, as if she needed that small bit of support.

Then, slowly, she closed her eyes. At first, her thoughts were still all over the place; worries about the announcement, about the people’s reactions, about whether she was asking too much from them.

Her brows furrowed a little. Zeir noticed it, but he didn’t interrupt her too much. He simply stayed beside her and reminded her softly, "Just breathe."

Roxanna took a slow breath in, then out. She did that again and again until little by little, the tension in her chest began to loosen. The chaotic thoughts in her mind slowly grew quieter, like waves calming after a storm.

Her shoulders relaxed and her grip on Zeir’s hand softened.

For a while, neither of them spoke, but when she was with Zeir, his presence was more important than his voice.

When she finally felt completely calm, Roxanna opened her eyes. "It’s a bit better," she said honestly.