Perla had always felt a longing for adventure, stifled by the rules of her strict upbringing and surrounded by her older brothers free to do as they wanted. She longed to carve her own path, to seek out excitement and perhaps even a little romance along the way. One day, while escaping yet another tedious piano class, she stumbled into the hollow of a massive tree. At its base, a mesmerizing green light beckoned her, and before she knew it, she was transported to a bizarre forest teeming with colossal, long-extinct creatures and menacing carnivorous plants. 

This was the realm of Beastkin, where men could transform into mighty beasts. Here, the constant threat of war had led to a peculiar imbalance, with most females giving birth to male Beastkin, resulting in a dire shortage of women. The land was a battleground, filled with mercenaries and adventurers seeking glory. While the males formed companies to embark on quests, their females stayed behind, living a life of comfort. But not Perla—she was determined to break free from the mold, to grow stronger, and to join her new love interests on exhilarating escapades.

"Did you hear? A new concubine was selected out of nowhere, and no one knows what family she comes from. Apparently, she keeps telling everyone to call her Beth, though she's actually Precious Consort Elisabeth."


"Beth? What a crude name. Perhaps she's from a commoner's house?" 


So there I was, pulling laundry off the line, soaking up the sun and the fresh scent of clean clothes, when I overheard two women working at the next line gossiping like it was their full-time job. I was in my zen zone, eyes closed, enjoying the birds singing and the warm breeze, but then I caught a snippet of their chatter. Was that Beth they were talking about? Coincidence or should I be worried?


Chapter 77 - The Reluctant Concubine and a Merchant