Beastmen Kings At My Feet [Reverse Harem] - Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Veronica felt a sudden chill down her spine. She thought, 'Has Joshua already figured out something's off with me? I was planning to figure things out first, then slip out of here before he caught on. Now, he's got me completely off guard.'
"I-I really don't remember it," Veronica stammered, trying to keep her cool. "Maybe, maybe you just didn't look thoroughly enough? How about you check again?"
"It's impossible, little female," Joshua replied with a smile, his cold lips brushing against her earlobe. "Every citizen of the Federation is monitored at birth, their irises scanned, and holo-interfaces issued. Without one, you can't survive in the galaxy. You'd have to go without food or water."
He reached out, casually rolled up Veronica's sleeve, and revealed her smooth arm. "Even if the data was wrong, the fact that you don't have a holo-interface is undeniable. How would you explain that?"
Veronica's mind raced. 'What shall I do now?'
The tingling sensation on her earlobe made her body stiffen, and her mind went blank.
Then, she heard a soft laugh beside her ear. Joshua gently tilted her chin, and the touch of his cold fingertips startled her.
Veronica froze as her gaze locked with his golden pupils. Her heart jumped into her throat as she watched him get closer.
His high nose brushed against hers, and with a playful smile, he kissed her forehead. The sensation shot through her like an electric jolt, leaving her frozen in place.
Joshua whispered, "Relax, okay? No matter where you come from or who you are, I will protect you."
Veronica blinked her eyes, but before she could even react, Joshua let go and straightened up, his demeanor returning to the polite, composed one from before. He asked, "Is there anything else you want to know?"
Looking at his polite smile, Veronica found herself torn.
She didn't fully trust him, but there was nowhere else to turn now.
The information she'd just learned about this world made her realize how dangerous everything outside the Safe Zone was. The radiation beyond it was serious, and she wasn't sure how it might affect her.
Females were rare and precious, but outside the Federation, other forces like the Astrobandits roamed the area, refusing to stay within the Safe Zone's boundaries. These bandits would kidnap females for ransom, and some even kept psychic-powered females around to maintain their own stability.
'Compared to the unknown dangers outside, at least now I'm known in Snakehaven. Joshua works for the Federation, so they wouldn't actually hurt me, right?' Veronica wondered.
She was still hesitating, but Joshua's voice cut through her thoughts. "How about I take you to dinner first? You haven't eaten since you woke up. Guess you must be starving."
Veronica wasn't that hungry, but when he said that, her stomach betrayed her and let out a loud growl.
Her ears turned bright red, and when she saw the smile widen on Joshua's face, she gritted her teeth and replied, "Alright."
Joshua gave a slight nod and gestured for her to follow. They were escorted by soldiers to a grand mansion.
No, calling it a mansion was an understatement. It was more like a castle. The grounds were lush with greenery, and the garden was filled with colorful flowers that looked like roses but in every hue imaginable.
The massive structure had at least six floors, all built in an ancient, imposing style.
Joshua personally opened the door for Veronica, and the opulence inside made her blink in disbelief.
A giant chandelier sparkled with dazzling colors. It was made from luminestone, a rare material that could suppress the primal regression of beastmen. It was so precious that it was practically priceless—and they actually used it as a light fixture.
The floor-to-ceiling windows let in bright sunlight, and the long dining table was covered with all kinds of food. Veronica couldn't even count them all at a glance.
A row of servants stood by the door, bowing and kneeling as they saw her enter.
Veronica felt a pang of nervousness, but she forced herself to look calm. She hesitated, eyed the spread, and asked Joshua, "Are you holding a party?"
Joshua paused for a second and then replied, "If you want a party, I can gather people immediately and arrange a dress for you."
Veronica then asked, "So you mean, all these dishes are just for the two of us?"
Joshua shook his head, and Veronica stared at him with a confused look.
Joshua explained, "It's just for you. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be able to join you for dinner."
Joshua led her inside and pulled out a chair for her. "We don't have much good food in this area, but I hope this meal suits your taste. The soldiers will keep you safe. If you need anything, feel free to ask the servants here."
'He means it's not good enough?' Veronica thought, still a little stunned.
As she saw him turning to leave, something clicked in her mind. She remembered hearing something about the big white tiger being locked up in prison when she first woke up.
"Hey, Joshua, I'd like to see the white tiger, if that's okay," she asked hesitantly.
Joshua stopped, giving her an unreadable glance before smiling and nodding. "Of course. I said I'll fulfill any request you make. I'll have him brought to you shortly."
Even though he was smiling, Veronica couldn't shake the feeling that he seemed to be a bit annoyed.
She watched his figure, thinking, 'What's going on with him?'
After Joshua left, Veronica picked up her knife and fork to start eating, but she wasn't in the mood to eat. She couldn't help glancing at the servants. "Why don't you guys join me and have some food?"
The servants looked panic-stricken. "Honored female, we are all semi-primal regression beings. We're not worthy of dining with you."
Veronica took a closer look at them, noticing that these beastmen still had "beast" features. One had a large wolf tail, another was a huge beastman with furry claws and a lion's head.
The one in the corner had red eyes and rabbit ears on his head. When he saw Veronica looking at him, he quickly lowered his head, looking pitiful.
Veronica screamed in her mind, 'Geeze! He's so cute.'
Veronica vaguely understood what semi-primal regression meant. Some beastmen were born unable to fully shift into humanoid form, so they were seen as "defective". Their only place in society was to serve the fully transformed beastmen, so they were treated as inferior.
But Veronica just couldn't shake off the thought of how adorable they were. She couldn't take her eyes off the thick paw pads. She felt itchy touching them.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked carefully, "Can I touch you guys? Is that rude?"
The servants became even more flustered, and they all dropped to one knee in front of her. "You cannot, honored female. If you touch us, we'll absorb your psychic power, and that will affect your health. We're not worthy of that."
Veronica remembered the sensation she felt when she touched the white tiger earlier.
She thought, 'So, if I touch these guys, will they stop their primal regression?'
With this thought in her mind, she felt an urge to try.
Her survival instincts kicked in. If she wanted to prove her worth, she had to see how strong her psychic power was and what kind of negative effects it could have.
Without thinking twice, she grabbed one of the thick paw pads. The lion-like servant was clearly panicking. He tried to pull away but was also afraid of hurting her.
Just then, a flash of white light burst out, and Veronica felt her head spin.
But before she could fully process it, the doors suddenly burst open. A massive beastman charged in, barreling straight toward her and scooping her up into his arms. "Mistress, I've finally found you."
Veronica was lifted off the ground and spun around, her head already dizzy from the earlier sensation. She almost felt like she was going to pass out. She shouted, "W-Wait, put me down."
Instinctively, she placed a hand on the man's shoulder to push him away, but when she saw his face, she froze.
'Holy moly, he's so handsome,' Veronica exclaimed in her mind.
While beastmen were generally good-looking, this guy was on a whole different level. Joshua was pretty enough, but this one? He was a downright rugged, handsome stud.
His silver hair was cut short, a little prickly to the touch, and his nose was sharp enough to slide down like a ramp.
His features were carefully chiseled—his jawline, his brows, and everything were defined and perfect. His lips were thin, but when he smiled, there was a goofy charm to it.
Being held in his arms, Veronica could feel every muscle in his chest and abs.
Her mind raced. 'Oh my goodness, he got eight-pack abs for sure. His chest is bigger than mine. Oh wait, why does he call me Mistress?'