Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 191: Operation Hairnet and The Merchant’s Regret

The cafeteria kitchen of Unity Academy was currently ruled by a terrifying Walrus-Kin named Chef Gristle. He believed that food was fuel, flavor was a distraction, and texture was optional.

He was currently stirring a pot of gray sludge labeled Stew.

"More gristle!" Chef Gristle barked at his sous-chefs. "It needs to be chewy! It builds character!"

The double doors swung open.

Primrose marched in. She wasn’t wearing her royal robes. She was wearing a white chef’s coat and a hairnet that struggled to contain her ears. Her nine silver tails were bundled awkwardly into a massive, custom-made apron that made her look like she was smuggling a sofa.

"Step away from the sludge," Primrose commanded.

Chef Gristle turned around, holding a ladle like a club. "Who are you? This is a restricted zone! No parents allowed!"

Primrose’s eyes flashed. A wave of Sovereign aura rippled through the kitchen, rattling the pots and pans.

"I am the Silver Sovereign," Primrose said, her voice echoing with authority. "But today... I am the Lunch Lady. And I am relieving you of command."

Chef Gristle dropped the ladle. "Y-Your Majesty? But... the stew..."

Primrose looked into the pot. She sniffed it. She recoiled.

"That is a crime against humanity," Primrose declared. "Jax! Secure the perimeter!"

Jax leaned into the kitchen doorway. He was wearing a Visitor badge and looking very pleased with himself.

"Perimeter secured, Ma’am," Jax saluted, his Guard instincts kicking in. "I have blocked the exit so the sludge cannot escape."

"Good," Primrose rolled up her sleeves. "Throw this out. We have forty-five minutes until the bell rings. We are making Sovereign Sloppy Joes."

While Primrose was waging war on bad food, Luna was sitting in the finest tea house in Solaris, staring miserably at a cup of expensive White Lotus tea.

Luna looked stunning. But right now, she looked like a little girl who had lost her favorite toy.

Jax sat across from her. He had joined her after helping Primrose infiltrate the school. He reached out and tapped her hand.

"Hey," Jax said softly. "You haven’t touched your macaron. And it’s pistachio. Your favorite."

Luna sighed, her long bunny ears drooping low.

"I’m a terrible sister, Jax."

"False," Jax said immediately. "I’ve run the background check. You’re a top-tier sister. You send care packages. You read bedtime stories. You threaten people who look at Clover wrong."

"I missed drop-off," Luna whispered, blinking back tears. "It was her first day. Her big day. And where was I? Stuck in a board meeting with my father, arguing about the price of imported carrots."

She clenched her fists on the table.

"Clover is so small, Jax. She’s the runt of the litter. Our parents... they focus on the business. They focus on me because I’m the heir. They forget she needs looking after. I promised I’d always be there."

Jax looked at her. He saw the guilt eating her up.

He stood up, walked around the table, and knelt beside her chair. He didn’t offer empty platitudes. He offered security.

"Luna, look at me."

She turned her wet eyes to him.

"I was a Guard for ten years," Jax said, his voice steady and serious. "My job was to assess threats. And I’m telling you... Clover is safer than you think."

"She scares easily," Luna sniffled.

"She does," Jax agreed. "But she has a squad. She has Vali, who would bite a god if it looked at her funny. She has Arjun planning her defense perimeter. And she has the backpack."

"The pink one?"

"The one with the panic button," Jax nodded. "I linked it to my personal comms. If she presses it, I will be there in three minutes. I don’t care if I have to drive the Iron Wyvern through a wall."

He took her hand and kissed the knuckles.

"You didn’t abandon her, Luna. You were working to secure her future. That’s what big sisters do."

Luna took a shaky breath. She looked at Jax—the scrappy Fox Guard who somehow understood her better than any wealthy merchant suitor ever had.

"You promise she’s okay?"

"I guarantee it," Jax grinned. "Besides, Primrose is currently infiltrating the cafeteria. Clover is about to have the best lunch in history."

RIIIING.

The lunch bell sounded like a stampede.

Hundreds of beast-kin children flooded the cafeteria. Bears, Wolves, Tigers, and Lizards. The noise was deafening.

The Seven Heirs claimed a round table in the center of the room.

Arjun laid out his napkin like a tactical map. "Sector 7 secure. Deploying lunchboxes."

Vali didn’t open his box yet. He was sniffing the air. His nose twitched.

"Do you smell that?" Vali asked.

Jasper adjusted his glasses. "I detect... tomato paste, brown sugar, and ground beef. High-quality."

Vali stood up. "That’s not school food. That’s Auntie Prim food."

He ran toward the serving line. The others followed.

Behind the counter, Primrose was working at superhuman speed. Her nine tails (still bundled in the apron) were wiggling excitedly as she slapped ladles of rich, savory meat onto buns.

"Next!" Primrose shouted. "Eat your veggies or no dessert! Move it, soldier!"

Vali reached the front of the line. He peered over the counter.

"Lunch Lady?" Vali asked suspiciously.

Primrose winked at him. She put an extra-large scoop of meat on his tray.

"Move along, little wolf," she whispered. "And don’t tell the Headmaster."

Vali grinned, grabbed his tray, and bolted back to the table. "It’s her! It’s the Sovereign!"

The Bully

The Heirs were happily eating their Sloppy Joes when a shadow fell over their table. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

It was a Hyena-Kin boy. He was older, maybe ten, and twice the size of Clover. He had a mean laugh and a reputation for stealing desserts.

He looked at Clover. She was eating a carrot cut into a star shape, humming happily.

"Hey, Rabbit," the Hyena sneered. "That cake looks good. Give it here."

Clover froze. Her ears flattened against her head. She hugged her tray.

"I... it’s mine," she squeaked.

"I said give it!" The Hyena reached out to grab her tray.

SNAP.

A hand caught the Hyena’s wrist.

It wasn’t Vali. It wasn’t Arjun.

It was Clover.

She didn’t look scary. She looked terrified. But she was holding his wrist.

"No," Clover whispered. Her voice trembled, but she didn’t let go. "My sister gave me this cake. You can’t have it."

The Hyena laughed. "Or what? You gonna cry?"

Before the Hyena could move, a low growl vibrated the table.

Vali stood up. He didn’t yell. He just bared his teeth.

Arjun stood up, picking up his metal lunchbox like a weapon.

Silas appeared silently behind the Hyena.

Orion picked up his juice box, ready to squeeze.

The Hyena looked around. He realized he was surrounded by the future rulers of the Beast Empire.

But before the kids could strike, a large metal spoon slammed onto the table between them.

CLANG.

The Hyena jumped. He looked up.

Standing over him was the Lunch Lady. Her eyes were glowing silver-blue. Her apron was twitching as if it contained nine angry snakes.

"Is there a problem here?" Primrose asked. Her voice was sweet, like poisoned honey.

"N-No, Ma’am," the Hyena stammered. "I was just... leaving."

"Good choice," Primrose said. She pointed the spoon at him. "If you touch the bunny, you answer to the Chef. And the Chef has very sharp knives."

The Hyena ran.

Later that afternoon, Luna and Jax were waiting by the school gates when the bell rang.

The kids poured out.

Clover saw Luna. Her face lit up.

"Luna!"

Clover ran—actually ran—and launched herself into Luna’s arms.

Luna caught her, burying her face in Clover’s soft fur. "I’m sorry I wasn’t there this morning, Clove. I’m so sorry."

"It’s okay!" Clover beamed, pulling back. "Guess what? I stood up to a Hyena! And Vali growled at him! And the Lunch Lady was magic!"

Luna looked at Jax over Clover’s head.

Jax was leaning against the gate, arms crossed, looking smug. Told you so, his expression said.

"You were brave?" Luna asked, smoothing Clover’s ears.

"Super brave," Clover nodded. "I remembered what you said. That we aren’t just bunnies. We’re Merchants. And Merchants don’t give away product for free!"

Luna laughed, the weight finally lifting from her chest.

"That’s my girl. Come on. Let’s go get ice cream. On me."

As they walked away, Primrose slipped out the side door of the kitchen, covered in sauce but looking triumphant.

She checked her list.

Fix the food. (Check)

Scare a bully. (Check)

Don’t get caught by the faculty. (Mostly Check)

"Operation Lunch Lady complete," Primrose whispered into her wrist-comm. "Caspian, start the bath. I smell like onions."