Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan

Chapter 281: He Doesn’t Know He Looks Like a Greek God

The cool water of the pond rushed up to swallow them both.

Ren came up sputtering and coughing, wildly wiping the water from her eyes. She was completely disoriented for a frantic second before two strong hands clamped firmly around her waist, easily stabilizing her in the waist-deep water.

Altair was holding her flush against his body.

Ren blinked the water from her lashes, her hands automatically coming up to rest on his broad shoulders. But as she pressed against him, a sudden, shocking realization short-circuited her brain. She could feel his firm, wet, completely naked chest pressing directly against her own bare breasts.

Her green eyes widened. She looked down through the clear water.

The magical, supposedly indestructible emerald silk dress was completely, entirely gone. She was as naked as the day she was born.

’Huh?!’ Ren screamed internally, her face flushing a brilliant red. ’Did my indestructible dress seriously just dissolve the second it touched water?!’

[System: Oops. It appears there was a minor, completely unforeseeable glitch, Host. The dress has unfortunately despawned. My deepest apologies. It is entirely my fault.]

Ding!

[System: As formal compensation for this tragic wardrobe malfunction, I have gifted you one (1) Small Empty Vial! It has been immediately stored in your inventory!]

Ren’s eye twitched violently. ’A small vial?! What in the world am I supposed to do with a tiny glass bottle right now?! I would have preferred something actually useful at least!’

She knew exactly what was going on. This wasn’t a bug; it was intentional. ’You perverted system! You intentionally removed my dress! Glitch, my ass!’

[System: Okay, fine. What if I did? You should be thanking me! I am only doing you a massive favor, Host. You really need to stop yelling at me and actually look at your bird husband.]

Ren paused. She had been looking off to the side, completely distracted by the voice in her head. She slowly turned her attention back to the tall, naked beastman holding her in the water.

Altair was looking down at her with that exact same, perfectly blank, emotionless expression she had grown so accustomed to. He looked like a stoic, beautiful marble statue. Just like his thoughts, Altair kept his feelings fiercely hidden behind those intense silver eyes.

[System: He might not look like it right now, Host, but he is hurting incredibly deep inside. He was sitting at the door last night when you explicitly told the Snake King that he was the ’prettiest beastman in the entire world.’]

Ren’s breath hitched. Her heart instantly dropped into her stomach.

[System: He was staring at his own reflection in the water because he genuinely thinks he is ugly compared to them. He feels like he is permanently second place to Kael and Syris. Just because he doesn’t have a territorial problem with you being with them, doesn’t mean it doesn’t profoundly hurt his feelings that you might love them significantly more than him.]

Ren had absolutely no idea. She hadn’t even been thinking about any of that!

Altair had been, without a single doubt, her most patient, understanding, and accommodating husband. The sudden, heartbreaking realization that he felt inadequate and unloved physically pained her chest.

All of her previous irritation about him shifting without permission instantly evaporated.

Ren reached up, her small, wet hands gently cupping his jaw. A soft, incredibly affectionate smile graced her lips.

"Altair," Ren murmured softly, her thumbs tracing his cheekbones. "If something is bothering you... you know you can always tell me, right?"

As Ren entirely expected, Altair said absolutely nothing. He just blinked down at her.

Even though the System had already spilled all of his tragic tea, she was really hoping he would say something—anything—to open up to her. But she knew she couldn’t force the silent bird to sing.

"Listen to me," Ren continued, her voice fiercely gentle as she held his gaze. "You are just as much my husband as Kael and Syris are. You are not second to them. You are never second. I love all three of you equally, okay?"

Altair’s golden eyelashes fluttered. Slowly, hesitantly, he leaned his weight forward, nuzzling his wet face affectionately into her soft hold. His eyes traveled slowly over her flushed, wet face before locking intensely onto her green eyes.

Ren’s heart began hammering wildly against her ribcage under his heavy stare.

Up close, completely wet and illuminated by the early morning light, Altair possessed a beauty that she could only accurately describe as god-like. Ren had read her fair share of steamy romance novels. She imagined that when the authors described the male leads as looking like ’Greek Gods,’ this exact man was exactly what they were picturing.

He looked incredibly, breathtakingly ethereal. How in the universe could he ever possibly think he was ugly?!

Kael was her ruggedly handsome barbarian husband. Syris was her delicate, ethereally pretty fairy-prince husband. And Altair? He was her drop-dead gorgeous husband.

Ren made absolutely sure to make Altair completely aware of how damn good-looking he was. She praised his sharp jawline, his striking silver eyes, and his flawless, muscular physique, leaving absolutely no room for his quiet insecurities.

A faint, adorable pink flush finally crept across Altair’s wet cheeks, but he didn’t avert his gaze. He soaked up her words like a dying man finding water.

Finally, his perfectly shaped lips parted.

"Ren," Altair spoke, his smooth voice low. "Can I mate with you?"

Ren swallowed hard.

She absolutely had not forgotten her new quest to conceive a child with one of her beast husbands. Given Kael and Syris’ bloodthirsty rivalry, getting pregnant by Altair first was honestly, logically, the absolute safest choice.

Neither the tiger nor the snake could accuse the other of winning if the quiet eagle swooped in and took the prize.

But...

Syris had absolutely no idea that Altair was even in his swamp! Ren knew Syris was very depressed and likely wouldn’t leave his nest, but what if a random snake guard walked in while they were having sex?! That was absolutely not how she wanted Syris to find out that she had acquired a third husband!

"Altair, I..." Ren hesitated, biting her lip as she nervously glanced toward the archways. "I want to. But we are in Syris’ home. If he catches us..."

"I should meet Syris, then," Altair suggested, his tone entirely devoid of fear. "So, we can mate together."

Ren’s entire face flushed a violent shade of red.

She wondered if he meant ’mate together’ as in just her and him... or all three of them at the same time?!