The Villainess Will Live a Good Life

19. Getting to know

In the time that followed the conclusion of the festival, the visitors began leaving en mass. Some lingered in hopes of trying their luck longer, but most accepted their situations and left. Beastmen like Karan, Troy, and Dakotah were allowed to stay as they had a female to court.

Even though Nana had yet to accept any of the three males into her family, they provided for her anyway. Thanks to their contributions, things got way easier for Amil and Zen. It's amazing how much difference it made, in fact.

All three of them were capable hunters. Yes, Troy too. Apparently, bashing in something's head was a very effective means of bringing home dinner. Naturally, everything Troy brought home was an aggressive predator. He wasn't exactly equipped to chase fleeing hare or deer after all. He also preferred something that would challenge him and help him burn off extra energy. Nana said nothing to discourage this.

Dakotah was not as great of a hunter as the others, but he was the best cook of the three. A plus was his ability to sniff out honey and bring her full jars of it. Not just honey either. He was great at foraging for fruits and vegetables. His injuries did fully recover exposing the good looking man underneath them. His features were on the softer and rounder side. After seeing the slim forms of foxes everywhere in the city, Nana appreciated the difference.

Karan was a ridiculously efficient hunter. His venom wasn't needed to bring down prey and he wouldn't dare give her compromised meat. Aside from hunting, Karan wasn't used to delicate tasks, but he seemed willing to learn.

After a week passed, Kaito paid Nana a visit. To say that Kaito scrutinizing her choices in males was not nerve-racking would be a bold-faced lie. Of course, Nana was not putting a lot of weight on his opinions, but she would hear him out if he had something to say.

Dakotah got a passing mark though Nana could see the wrinkle of displeasure on Kaito's forehead. The bear's clumsiness clearly caused him to question his decision. Troy challenged Kaito, and to Nana's surprise, Kaito accepted. Her father did win, but Troy gave him a hard time.

Nana had watched with baited breath, but she had no reason to worry. As eager for battle as Troy was, he handled himself very well. Kaito had great control too. After the battle, Nana could see Kaito's approval radiating off of him. Nana sweat-dropped. How she hoped not all things would boil down to a contest of might. Karan got the iffiest response from Nana's father. She could only interpret Kaito's reaction as an undecided one.

Out of the males gathered around her, Kaito clearly had favorites. He was very biased towards Zen, but he liked Amil. He seemed concerned with Dakotah and pleased with Troy. His discomfort towards Karan was obvious to Nana, but maybe not to those who did not know him well.

Karan took nothing personal. To him, Nana's opinion was the only one the mattered. He did know better than to ignore or slight those who Nana cared about, but that did not mean he would suck up to them.

Dakotah missed any subtle cues Kaito put out and continued to do what he was doing. He did try to impress the male since Nana was close to her father. He assumed he did good and walked around with a bright smile.

Dakotah thought things were going great. Nana liked his cooking and his honey collecting skills. He also felt like he got along with her two mates. The snake made him a little nervous sometimes, but he wouldn't show that. He had to be a strong and reliable male for Nana. How could he be if her potential mate could scare him?

Troy watched the bear bumble around. It concerned him that the bear could end up apart of the same family as him, but he recognized Dakotah's durability if nothing else. Troy resolved himself to having to deal with the happy-go-lucky male for a long while. He really didn't mind the bear's personality, he only worried that he'd have to pull some of the bear's weight in the family.