I Became the Villainess, But My Beast Husbands Can Hear My Mind?! Chapter 166: The Maze Inside His Head

"Back then... she and my father would go down the mountain just so they could bring sweet potatoes from the forest at the foot of the mountain."

Roxanna fell silent for a mont because she had no idea that both of Aelin’s parents had passed away. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been paying attention back at the Golden Mountain, but her mind had been pulled in too many directions.

She had wondered, briefly, why Aelin’s brother, Elior, had beco the leader instead of their father. Still, she never asked, and she hadn’t tried to find out more about it.

After all, the only reason Roxanna had co to their place was to find a doctor for Calen, not to look for gossip.

"What happened to them?" Roxanna asked softly. She patted the back of Aelin’s hand a few tis to soothe her. "But if it’s too painful," she added, her voice even softer, "you don’t have to tell ."

Aelin let out a light laugh, though her eyes were still wet. She quickly wiped her tears with her other hand. "No, it’s alright," she said. Her tone was calm, almost too calm. "They died after being struck by falling rocks during a snowstorm."

Roxanna blinked several tis and didn’t say anything for a mont. Aelin had just revealed sothing so traumatic, yet she could still smile as bright as a sunflower.

She was even able to stop crying so quickly, sothing Roxanna herself still found difficult to do.

"I’m sorry," Roxanna said at last. She tried to speak as gently as possible because she didn’t want to upset Aelin. "It must have been a very hard ti for you and your brother."

Still smiling, Aelin said, "It was hard indeed, but... we still managed to get through it well." Her eyes drifted to the side for a split second. "I an, Elior managed to get through it well."

Roxanna was about to say sothing, but Aelin suddenly pulled her hand away and clapped her hands once. "Alright," Aelin said, her voice brighter now. "My energy is finally back, thanks to your delicious al. Let’s talk about your husband."

The mont Aelin said that, Roxanna imdiately straightened her back, and so did her other husbands. All of them looked directly at Aelin, acting like a group of eagles watching their prey on the ground.

"Yes... please," Roxanna said, holding her breath. "What happened to Calen?"

Aelin took another deep breath, probably trying to clear away the remaining sadness in her heart.

After a mont, she finally said, "As you guessed before... there is sothing wrong with his shifted form." She paused briefly, choosing her words with care. "His body... it’s reacting like a vessel, like sothing inside him is trying to co out... and his body is fighting to keep it trapped."

Roxanna frowned, feeling truly confused. "And what is that?" she asked. "He’s never had any trouble shifting into his dog form."

Even Zeir and Luan both confird that there had been nothing wrong with Calen when he shifted into his beast form.

"It’s not his dog form." Aelin lowered her voice, which now sounded more serious. "There is sothing else within him, and I think it tried to co out after he made contact with sothing. Most likely with the Demon Fenrir."

Roxanna glanced at her other husbands, her eyes searching their faces. She didn’t say anything, but the question was clear: Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

His na was Calen Fenrirsson. A na that now felt less like a coincidence. It sounded like sothing out of an old legend, the kind where a mythological God nad his son after himself, as if passing down more than just a na.

Aelin watched the shift in Roxanna’s expression. She didn’t interrupt because she seed to understand exactly where Roxanna’s thoughts were heading.

"You’re thinking about his na," Aelin said gently.

It wasn’t a question.

Roxanna’s lips parted, but no words ca out. The room felt strangely still, as though even the air was listening.

"Have you heard about mystical beasts?" Aelin suddenly asked.

Roxanna thought about it for a while, even trying to search the aning of it through the evil Roxanna’s mories.

But before she could say anything, Zeir spoke. "Yes," he said calmly.

All eyes shifted toward him, but none of them said anything.

"They’re not ordinary beasts," Zeir continued. "They’re born with ancient power. So people believe they’re closer to spirits... or even to gods."

He paused briefly. "But they’re extrely rare. It’s hard to truly believe in sothing like that when you’ve never seen one yourself."

Aelin nodded slightly. "That’s right." She added, "And sotis, they don’t fully awaken at birth, or in so cases, they are deliberately hidden."

Azul frowned. "Wait... are mystical beasts actually real?"

Aelin smiled faintly. "That depends on what you choose to believe, but my family has studied them for generations."

Her gaze softened slightly. "So of my ancestors even encountered them. And there’s a chance that a mystical beast once served as a bridge between my tribe and the god who protects the Golden Mountain."

[I know Aelin wouldn’t bring up mystical beasts without a reason,] Roxanna thought. [This must be connected to Calen.]

Around her, her husbands wore the sa tense expressions. They didn’t need to speak because she could sense that they were thinking the exact sa thing.

[Still... it’s hard to believe Calen has anything to do with a mystical beast,] Roxanna sighed inwardly. [In my mind, he’s always just been...]

Her thoughts softened despite the fear. [...a cute puppy.]

"What are you really trying to say about my husband, Aelin?" Roxanna finally asked directly. "I’ve been desperate to know what happened to him, so please... please give an explanation and tell how to wake him up."

Aelin deepened her gaze on Roxanna. "It might be hard to believe, but after examining him again and again, I’m now completely sure that his blood is nothing like that of an ordinary beast. Well, I an, his blood is still red like ours, but it carries sothing powerful."

She turned her eyes toward the window, looking at the black crystals hanging in front of it to repel the weaker demon beasts.

"His blood carries the sa kind of aura as the Demon Fenrir’s. But whatever exists within Calen is pure, so he is nothing like the Demon Fenrir," she explained.

"That sounds ridiculous," Luan said suddenly. "He’s just a stupid dog, so—"

"Luan, be quiet." Roxanna cut him off, not even giving him ti to continue. Her eyes remained fixed on Aelin. "What can I do to wake him up?"

Aelin’s eyes widened slightly because Roxanna hadn’t asked further about Calen’s deepest secret, sothing he himself might not even know.

[Who cares about mystical beasts or ancient power? Damn it, I don’t care what he is. I just want to know what I can do to wake him up!]

Roxanna’s thoughts were firm. [I just want him to wake up. I just want to save Calen. That’s all.]

"Tell , Aelin. What can I do to wake him up?" Roxanna repeated her question.

At last, Aelin replied, "Calen’s condition is rather unique. He cannot be awakened by your blood or by the strongest dicine I could create."

"The reason he has not woken up is because his consciousness is trapped inside a maze created by his own body to prevent the dangerous creature within him from finding a way out."

Unfortunately, as a result, Calen himself beca trapped. And escaping was nearly impossible. The maze created by his mind was far too complex, and there was also a serious risk.

"He needs guidance," Aelin said quietly. "We may be able to use sothing known as a Calling Ritual. My tribe usually performs this ritual to guide lost souls trapped between worlds."

Cyrus chid in. "You an... a ritual where you guide a soul with a lantern?" he asked slowly. "We usually perform sothing like that to lead wandering souls, those who died tragically in the wilderness or in hidden places."

"So how..." His voice began to fade.

How could such a ritual be used on soone who was still alive?

Aelin understood his hesitation. "The principle is the sa," she explained gently. "A light is used as an anchor... a guide for consciousness." She glanced toward the inner room where Calen lay. "But Calen’s body is alive. It is his mind that is lost."

Cyrus held his breath before speaking. "So... we have to enter his mind as well."

Aelin nodded slowly. "Yes." She added, "But only one person can go, and it has to be soone Calen will not reject, soone his consciousness recognizes as his haven."

[Ah... he probably wouldn’t like it if my other husbands entered his mind,] Roxanna thought.

Of course, he wouldn’t like it.

After all, to enter that maze, they would inevitably see everything inside his head, whether his past mories, his deepest desires, or even his secrets.

"He will trust Roxanna," Zeir said. "She is the only one he would allow to enter."