Interstellar Beast World: All My Husbands Are Powerful and Rich!-Chapter 73: No scent

"Even if he’s only a bird, he’s still male," Jasper said firmly, blocking Rory’s path. "It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to stay here while you change."

Burnt Dumpling was still reeling from everything that had just happened. Rory had punished Nix on his behalf—without hesitation—and he hadn’t yet recovered from the shock. Stripped of his former strength, reduced to a pitiful, injured creature who could barely defend himself, he had long accepted that his value had dropped to nothing.

And yet... this small female had stood up for him. Against her own suitor, no less.

In most households ruled by females, affection was transactional. A male’s worth depended entirely on his power. A strong male was cherished; a weak one was ignored—or discarded altogether. By that logic, Burnt Dumpling should have been invisible to Rory by now.

And yet, she had protected him.

The realization left his thoughts in complete disarray.

Then Jasper’s words finally registered.

Right.

He was still male.

Even though he had resolved to follow Rory with unwavering loyalty, Burnt Dumpling was not her mate. Not yet. Watching her change—observing her in such an intimate, private moment—was inappropriate. Unacceptable, even by the loosest of standards.

His tiny face burned hot with embarrassment, though the surrounding darkness mercifully concealed it. His feathers ruffled slightly as he struggled to hide the shame that prickled through him.

Rory, meanwhile, glanced down at the small bird cradled in her arms—and for the first time, a realization struck her.

Male?

Her eyes widened slightly, and she froze mid-motion.

Thinking back, when she had bathed Burnt Dumpling earlier, she hadn’t noticed anything that clearly marked his gender. The thought ignited genuine curiosity, warm and probing.

She looked up at Jasper, eyebrows raised."How did you know Burnt Dumpling was male?" she asked, voice tinged with intrigue.

Jasper blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question."I could smell it," he replied simply.

"...Smell it?" Rory repeated, incredulous.

Jasper stared at her as though she’d asked the most absurd thing imaginable."Rory," he said patiently, a faint edge of disbelief in his tone, "didn’t you notice? Males and females smell different. Beastfolk can tell from birth. It’s instinct."

To him, it was the most natural, self-evident fact in the world. To Rory, it was a revelation that made her pause and reconsider everything she thought she knew about the creatures in her care.

Burnt Dumpling, still squirming with the lingering embarrassment of being exposed, gave a tiny squeak that might have been protest—or shame. Either way, the moment left him acutely aware of Jasper’s unflinching, unsettlingly accurate instincts.

To Rory, it wasn’t.

She wasn’t Dragon Kind. Even though her abilities had enhanced her senses somewhat, her sense of smell was nowhere near that of true beastfolk. Forget Burnt Dumpling—even if Jasper transformed into a serpent right in front of her, as long as he concealed his defining traits, she wouldn’t be able to tell his gender by scent alone.

But she couldn’t say that.

Not yet.

"I—of course I could tell," Rory said smoothly, keeping her expression calm.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Jasper. She simply wasn’t ready to reveal that particular truth.

She lifted Burnt Dumpling and suddenly placed him into Jasper’s arms with a composed smile.

"I was just testing you. Congratulations—you passed."

Both Jasper and Burnt Dumpling froze.

They watched in silence as Rory walked into the dressing room and closed the door behind her.

Jasper stood there, deep in thought.

She really couldn’t tell, could she?

Burnt Dumpling, meanwhile, felt his world tilt.

So she truly can’t distinguish a beast’s gender by scent...

Jasper casually set Burnt Dumpling back on the bed and immediately activated his light-brain. His fingers moved quickly as he typed:

"Under what circumstances would a female be unable to identify a beast’s gender by scent? Reward: 10 million star coins for useful answers."

Responses flooded in almost instantly.

One reply caught his attention.

Lonely Fox:

"If a female’s sense of smell is impaired, she won’t be able to distinguish gender. Did your huntress lose her sense of smell? I have a rare medicinal plant that can help. Price: 50 million star coins. Interested?"

Jasper’s heart clenched.

Could something really be wrong with her sense of smell?

Without hesitation, he transferred 60 million star coins and instructed the seller to ship the plant immediately.

More replies appeared.

A Beast Without Huntress:

"Don’t listen to that guy. He sells fake plants. There are multiple reasons a female might not distinguish gender by scent."

Another message followed quickly.

A Beast Without Huntress:

"One possibility is an issue with her olfactory sense. That’s treatable. Another possibility is a genetic disorder. That one’s much harder to deal with."

Jasper’s blood ran cold.

He immediately added the user as a contact and sent a message.

Jasper:

"I just sent you 10 million star coins. What do you mean by genetic disorder?"

The reply came fast.

A Beast Without Huntress:

"Wow, thanks for the tip! Appreciate it."

Then:

A Beast Without Huntress:

"If a female is born unable to distinguish scent, it’s genetic. Usually, she either can’t awaken abilities at all—or if she does, her growth is slow. In some cases, her lifespan is shortened."

Jasper’s fingers tightened around the device.

Another message followed.

A Beast Without Huntress:

"There’s also a third case. Extremely rare. Legends say that thousands of years ago, there was a human female in the Empire who couldn’t tell beastfolk gender by scent either."

Jasper frowned deeply.

Jasper:

"You’re in the Central District? So am I. How have I never heard of this? Even the light-brain database has nothing."

The response came with a warning.

A Beast Without Huntress:

"I work at a hospital. Information about female genetic disorders is heavily restricted. Nothing like this is allowed on the light-brain. The messages I sent you will probably be wiped by the system by tomorrow."

Jasper lowered the device slowly.

For the first time, a sharp, unfamiliar fear gripped his chest.