Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 92: This World Is a Home

Later that evening, after dropping a triumphant Ellia off at the Daycare, I decided to take a walk.

I needed air. I needed to clear my head.

I walked toward the Temple of the Stars, a massive open-air structure in the center of the capital. It was usually crowded with pilgrims, but tonight, due to the upcoming festival preparations, it was quiet.

I walked up the marble steps, looking at the statues of the Founders. The Lion. The Tiger. The Wolf.

And the empty pedestal where the Fox should be.

"Irony is a cruel architect," a voice said.

I froze.

The air around me went cold. Not the winter cold of the estate. The absolute, suffocating cold of the Void.

I turned around.

Standing in the shadow of a pillar was a man.

He was tall, wearing a charcoal grey suit that looked expensive and modern—too modern for this fantasy world. He wore a fedora hat pulled low, hiding his eyes. He leaned against the stone, smoking a thin cigarette that smelled like burning ozone.

"Hello, Primrose," the man said, smoke curling from his lips.

He took a step forward, the torchlight passing through him as if he were made of mist.

"Or perhaps..." he tilted his head, his voice dropping to a silky, dangerous whisper. "...I should call you Kim Su-jin?"

I stopped breathing.

The sound of my real name—my Earth name—hit me like a physical blow. I hadn’t heard those syllables in months. I had buried that life under layers of game code, fox ears, and Nanny aprons.

But then, my brain rebooted.

Wait.

He said "Kim Soo-JEEN."

He put the emphasis on the wrong syllable. He made it sound like a pair of denim pants.

It’s Su-jin, I thought, the sheer absurdity of the moment cutting through the terror. Soft ’u’. Short ’i’. If you’re going to stalk me across dimensions and break the fourth wall, at least work on your accent.

I stepped back, my hand going to the Repulsion Necklace Cassian gave me.

"Don’t bother," The Boss said lazily, flicking ash onto the sacred floor. "That toy deflects physical objects. I am not physical."

"Who are you?" I demanded, pushing down the shock. "How do you know that name?"

"I know many things," he said simply. "I know you are playing a game you do not understand, Traveler."

My blood ran cold. Traveler.

"You are fixing things," The Boss continued, walking around me. "You fixed the Cubs of the top Beasts in the empire. You fixed the Lion Cub. You are trying to find the Fox."

He stopped in front of me. Under the brim of his hat, I saw eyes that were not eyes. They were swirling vortexes of grey static.

"If you bring the Divine Light back," The Boss whispered, "you do not save this world. You doom it."

"What are you talking about?" I hissed. "The Void is a disease! It kills people!"

"The Void is a solvent," he corrected. "It dissolves the cage."

He leaned in close.

"The creators who built this world... they are not kind, Su-jin. They are developers. And they abandoned us a long time ago. The Void is the only way out."

He straightened up, adjusting his tie.

"Enjoy the Ball, Nanny. Dance. Drink. Be merry."

He began to fade, dissolving into mist.

"But do not open the Fox’s tomb. If you do... I will not be so polite next time."

And then, he was gone.

I stood alone in the Temple, shivering in the warm night air.

The Villain wasn’t just a gangster. He was a revolutionary. And he knew exactly who—and what—I was. Even if he couldn’t pronounce my name to save his life.

---

Meanwhile, Little Whiskers Daycare was currently under siege by a benevolent dictator.

Lady Ellia had burst through the front door ten minutes ago. She hadn’t knocked. She had simply kicked it open (gently) and marched to the center of the rug, holding a stack of envelopes that were thick, creamy, and embossed with real gold leaf.

"Attention, Citizens of the Carpet!" Ellia announced, standing on the coffee table for height.

The daycare ground to a halt.

Arjun paused mid-bite on a plastic donut.

Vali dropped the tug-of-war rope.

Silas peeked out from the shadow of the toy chest.

Jasper adjusted his glasses, looking up from his picture book.

"I have already sent these by official courier," Ellia declared, waving the gold envelopes. "But official couriers are boring and they smell like horses. So, I am delivering the mandate personally."

She pointed a finger at the group.

"You are all summoned."

"Summoned?" Orion asked, tilting his head. "To a tribunal? Have we committed a crime?"

"No, silly fish," Ellia rolled her eyes. "To the Ball! The Debutante Ball! It is next week, and attendance is mandatory."

"We know!" Arjun cheered, spitting out the plastic donut. "We got the gold paper! It tastes like metal!"

"Do not eat the invitation, Arjun," Jasper sighed. "It is cardstock. It has zero nutritional value."

Ellia hopped down from the table. She wasn’t acting like the terrified girl who hid in the West Wing anymore. She was channeling pure Grand Duchess energy. She walked over to Jax and Finn, who were lounging by the snack bar.

Jax was wearing his usual rumpled green shirt and loose tie. Finn was wearing a t-shirt with a jam stain on it.

"Sir Fox," Ellia addressed Jax.

Jax smirked, flipping his coin. "Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Your attire," Ellia said bluntly. "It is... rustic."

"It’s called ’street style’, kid," Jax winked. "Very fashionable in the Undercity."

"It is unacceptable for my entourage," Ellia decided. She pulled a notepad out of her pocket and scribbled something. "I cannot have my guards looking like they sleep in a bin. I am commissioning suits for you. Silk. Emerald green to match your eyes. And no ties that look like dead snakes."

Finn gasped, pulling on Jax’s sleeve. "Jax! Did you hear that? Silk! We’re gonna be fancy!"

Jax chuckled, ruffling Finn’s ears. "Alright, Your Highness. If you’re paying, I’ll wear a tutu."

"No tutus," Ellia ordered. "Tailcoats. And a top hat for the little one."

Finn pumped his fist. "Yes! Top hat!"

Ellia turned to Luna and Clover.

"And for the Bunnies," Ellia softened her voice. "You need something soft. Pink? Or maybe Lavender?"

Luna blushed, wiping flour off her apron. "Oh, Lady Ellia, you don’t have to... ballgowns are so expensive..."

"I have a vault," Ellia dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand. "My father says we have ’generational wealth’. I am going to spend it on ruffles."

Clover hopped forward, holding up her grey rock. "Does the rock get a dress too?"

Ellia considered this seriously. "The rock can have a bow tie."

Clover squealed and hugged Ellia’s leg. "Best. Princess. Ever."

Finally, Ellia turned to Caspian and Orion.

"And you," Ellia said, walking up to him. She had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. "You are a King. But you are a refugee King. My father says your luggage was lost at sea."

"That is a polite way of saying I was kinda kicked out of my city, yes," Caspian nodded.

"Well, you cannot meet the Emperor wearing..." She gestured to his linen shirt. "...civilian clothes. You need to look like a Leviathan."

"I am listening," Caspian smiled.

"Deep blue velvet," Ellia decided. "With silver embroidery that looks like scales. And a cape. Kings need capes. It adds..." She demonstrated a dramatic turn.

Orion raised his hand. "I require a hydration suit. The ballroom air will be dry."

"We will get you a velvet suit and a spray bottle," Ellia compromised.

"Acceptable," Orion noted.

Vali ran up, his tail wagging so hard his whole body shook. "What about me? Do I get armor? Rurik wears armor!"

"No armor," Ellia said sternly. "It scratches the furniture. You get a bow tie. A red one."

"Aw, man," Vali pouted. "Can I at least bring a bone?"

"Only if it is a formal bone," Ellia said.

"Deal!"

Silas melted out of the shadow behind Ellia. "I do not want to be seen," the panther cub whispered. "Can I wear the night?"

Ellia didn’t jump. She was getting used to Silas. "You can wear black velvet. You will look like a shadow with eyes."

Silas purred. "Excellent."

Ellia stood back, looking at her motley crew. The Foxes, the Bunnies, the Mermen, the Wolf, the Tiger, the Snake, and the Panther.

They were chaotic. They were messy. They were loud.

But they were hers.

"Listen," Ellia said, her voice dropping a little, losing some of the royal bravado. "I need you guys there. The nobles... they are mean. They whisper. But if I have my Pack..."

Arjun stood up. He walked over and placed a heavy paw on her shoulder.

"If they are mean," Arjun growled, "we will roar at them."

"We will calculate their social insecurities and exploit them," Jasper added, polishing his glasses.

"We will bite their ankles!" Vali cheered.

"We will steal their wallets," Finn whispered loudly.

"No stealing!" Luna corrected, but she was smiling.

Ellia beamed. She looked around the room, her heart full.

"Okay," she said. "Mission accepted. Get ready, monsters. We are going to conquer the Palace."

Just then, the door opened, and I walked in, still shivering from the cold of the Void.

But as I stepped into the warm, yellow light of the daycare, seeing Ellia measuring Finn for a top hat while Caspian explained the physics of capes to Vali, the cold faded.