Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan-Chapter 200: The Tiger Beast Inside

Ren blinked twice.

She stared at Kael’s serious, awe-filled face.

And then, she lost it.

"Pfft—BWAHAHAHA!"

Ren burst out laughing. It was a full-body, unladylike cackle that echoed through the trees. She doubled over, clutching her side, wheezing as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"Turning... into... a tiger?!" Ren gasped, slapping her knee.

Kael stood there, looking adorably clueless. His ears twitched in confusion. To him, it was the only plausible explanation. She had stripes. He had stripes. Therefore, she was becoming a tiger.

"Why are you laughing?" Kael asked, tilting his head.

Ren waved her hand, breathless. It took her a full minute to compose herself.

"No, no," Ren wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling. "Kael, honey, I am not turning into a tiger. These are called stretch marks."

Kael frowned. "Stretch... marks?"

"Yes," Ren nodded, straightening up. "It’s just a skin thing. Nothing special and definitely nothing important. It happens when... well, when skin stretches. It’s completely normal."

She twisted her torso to look at her hip. The weeks of relentless sun exposure had given her a tan, making the silvery, jagged lines stand out in stark contrast.

’In my world, we call them tiger stripes too,’ Ren thought with a grin. ’But Kael is taking it way too literally.’

She opened her mouth to laugh again, to dismiss it entirely.

But Kael stepped closer, his expression softening into something profoundly tender.

"They are beautiful," Kael whispered.

He traced one of the silvery lines on her hip with his thumb.

"They look just like tiger stripes," he murmured reverently. "To me, you are like a tiger anyway. You are brave. You are strong. These marks... they are the tiger stripes that prove the beast inside you is a tiger."

Ren’s laughter died in her throat. Her cheeks flushed a deep, rosy pink.

That was, without a doubt, the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.

Ren had been incredibly insecure about her stretch marks. She had spent a small fortune on fade creams, oils, and laser treatments that promised to erase them.

’They represent the tiger beast inside me,’ Ren thought, feeling a sudden surge of pride. ’I like that.’

[System: You are going to literally have a tiger beast inside you in about five minutes if you keep looking at him like that.]

Ren choked.

’You ruin everything!’ Ren scolded the System, her face burning hotter.

She had mixed feelings about going for Round Two immediately. Her body was still aching a bit from round one and she had lunch to prepare.

Ren quickly turned around so her back was facing Kael, hiding her blush.

"Okay, okay," Ren stammered, flipping her wild, flowing red hair over her shoulder to clear her back. "Help me put on the dress. We need to head back so I can prep the pig for roasting."

"Okay," Kael agreed, his voice sounding a little too eager.

He reached around her, holding the leaf top. The material was smooth, soft, and cool against her heated skin as he laid the rectangular strip across her heaving bust.

Ren held her breath as Kael pulled the vines to tie it behind her back.

He pulled tight.

"Oof," Ren breathed out.

Her breasts were definitely too big for the small strip of vegetation, but somehow, it sort of worked? The tightness pushed her boobs up, creating a shelf of cleavage that defied gravity.

Ren looked down.

She wiggled slightly. The top wasn’t constricting; she could breathe, she could move, and the waxy leaves were flexible enough not to tear from the stretch. It was surprisingly secure.

’Looking good,’ Ren assessed. ’I just hope the skirt leaves a bit more to the imagination than the top.’

Kael then reached around her waist, laying the layered leaf garment against her front.

Ren stiffened instinctively, bracing for a poke or a prick from one of the acacia thorns. But nothing poked her. The thorns were tucked and woven with expert precision.

Ren released a breath as Kael started tying the vines behind her to close the waist.

"There," Kael said.

The waistband was comfortable—large enough that he didn’t have to strangle her midsection. It sat low on her hips.

Ren reached down to feel the length. Her fingers brushed the edge of the leaves.

They stopped dangerously high on her thighs.

’Oh boy,’ Ren thought. ’If I stoop, I flash the world. If I bend over, it’s game over. He is dressing me like a skimpy housewife from a 1950s jungle calendar.’

Kael stepped back to admire his handiwork.

"How does it feel?" he asked. "Is it tight? Uncomfortable anywhere?"

’It is uncomfortable everywhere! I feel more naked than actually naked!’ Ren screamed in her thoughts.

She reasoned that making a modest outfit out of leaves was a challenge, sure. But he could have been a little more generous with the foliage. Maybe a knee-length option? A maxi-leaf skirt?

"It feels... okay," Ren lied politely.

Then, a gust of wind blew through the clearing.

It kissed her legs.

And then it kissed her ass.

Ren froze.

"It’s... a bit windy from behind," Ren noted, her voice rising in pitch.

She realized with dawning horror that she didn’t feel the weight of any leaves on the backside of her legs.

Ren’s eyes widened. She quickly reached behind her to check.

Her hand touched warm, soft skin.

Her own warm, soft skin.

The skirt was not a skirt. It was an apron?

Her bare butt was hanging out in the breeze.

Ren spun around to face him, her face blazing red.

Kael stood there, arms crossed, looking extremely pleased with himself.

"You pervert!" Ren yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Why doesn’t my skirt have a back?! You forgot half the skirt!"

Kael shrugged casually, not looking guilty in the slightest.

"It is for easy access," he stated matter-of-factly. "For when I want to mate."

Ren’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe the audacity. He confessed so casually!

Her face got even redder, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"Easy... access..." Ren sputtered. "You... you... Pervert! That is the only word for you!"

Kael took a step closer, a wicked glint in his golden eyes.

"Also," he added, daring to smirk. "This way, I can see your tiger stripes easily. I like them."

Ren took a step back, hitting the trunk of the broad-leafed tree.

"This outfit is not practical!" Ren stuttered out an argument, trying to salvage her dignity. "It is not useful! It offers zero protection from mosquitoes! You should fix the skirt! Add a back flap immediately!"

Kael closed the distance. He gripped her hips, his large hands resting on the bare skin of her waist. He pulled her forward, grinding her hips against the hardness poking through his own loincloth.

"I can show you the usefulness," Kael whispered huskily, his voice dropping an octave.

Ren almost moaned as the friction sent a jolt of electricity straight to her core.

’Oh no,’ Ren panicked. Her brain was saying run, but her body was saying, "Yes, Chef."

Before she could regain control of her thoughts or the situation, Kael spun her around and pressed her against the tree.

Her boobs pressed into the rough bark. The cool leaves of her new "top" offered little protection against the texture.

Behind her, she heard when Kael dropped his loincloth.

Ren bit her bottom lip, her heart hammering against the tree trunk, already knowing exactly what was going to come next.