Sienna leaned forward, her lips showing a hint of a smile. "Is that a threat?"

Grace smiled. He didn’t show any hostility, almost as if nothing bothered him at all.

"No, it’s a warning." He replied simply. "I promise not to cross your line, as long as you don’t cross mine. If something should come up that involves my interests, I hope that you will come to me first and tell me all about it." He rose, leaning lightly on his walking cane. "I am not a coward, Lady Sienna. I don’t run and hide when my house is falling, I stand and fight with everything I have or destroy everything. Even if it kills me."

The fox guards near the gate clenched their hands around their weapons, sensing a threat, not a warning.

Sienna on the other hand was relaxed. She likened Grace’s move to a carrot and stick. First, he dangled the carrot and now, he was showing her the stick.

But, now was not the time to show her claws. The man had not crossed her. He had apologized for his daughter and he had made his intentions open. Why start war over nothing? "If this is a deal, you have yourself one."

Grace nodded, and smiled genuinely. "In that case, please fire Jacky from the Interim council officially. Her presence will put a strain on our relationship, and I would rather not see that happening. Also, whatever issues you have with Cadelaria, I hope they don’t stretch to the Twindell family. My family’s legacy must continue. It cannot fall because of the problems between you two."

Sienna snorted. "She is the one with the problem, not me. Do you know how much I have to hold back to stop myself from striking her whenever she does something stupid? If she was not Elias’s mother, I would have skinned that fox already. I would be walking around in boots made of her fur. Her tails would be wrapped around my neck like a scarf. Her...."

"I don’t think I want to hear the rest of this rant." Grace raised one of his hands to stop her. "This is a small beach. I am sure Cadelaria will be hearing of this."

"And I give zero damns." Sienna declared loudly. "If she can call me chubby charms, fat roll..."

Suddenly, Grace burst into laughter. "Fat roll!!"

Sienna twisted her lips in distaste. "Yes. Your niece is quite talented when it comes to creativity and my size. If only she could apply the same creativity to having common sense."

Grace raised his brows. As a fox beast man, his smelling senses were quite sharp. He could smell the cubs and all the other eaves droppers in the shadows. Sienna was very bold or careless to speak like that about her mother-in-law, in his opinion.

He gave ’zero damns’ like her, but he was sure his niece and her mother would have many ’damns’ to give.

He took a step away from her and bowed politely. "I must take my leave. I apologize, for I can’t be your partner in ranting about Cadelaria."

Sienna rose, waving her hand dismissively. "Not a problem, that is what my mom’s ears are for."

Mrs. Miller stiffened from the shadows. "This girl.." she muttered.

Sienna, in the meantime, recalled one last thing she needed to say. "Oh by the way, when I take my position as the head of the office of women and cubs, I will fire anyone I find troublesome, no matter which family they belong to. If you have more family members that like to create trouble, I suggest you relocate them before I come in. Feel free to spread the word." She turned around, waving her hand. "I won’t see you off."

As she left, she heard him ask, "Have you ever seen a hornet’s nest when it is stirred up?"

She laughed in response, a sound that was as light as the air. "Then it’s a good thing I know how to kill hornets. Goodbye, Mr. Grace. I expect to see my parrots soon. Come by when you need someone to tell stories on your adventurous days, my ears are very open and interested."

Sienna walked into the gate, slowly but confidently. One of her biggest worries had been put to bed. If not, then she had just met the biggest problem she would ever face since her transmigration.

A falcon beast woman flew past her, squeezing through the gate just before it closed.

"Wait, Mr. Graaaaaace!" Numia called out.

Sienna paused, and looked back briefly. Numia was back at it again. She looked into the trees and at the shadows on the ground. "Well, is nobody going to stop her?"

Silence was the sound that answered her back.

Sienna chuckled delightfully, continuing to her house, unbothered. Just before she was out of hearing distance, she heard her uncle Christo say, "I want to see how this ends. Numia is her own worst enemy at this point."

On a whim, she decided to sit on the steps leading to her courtyard, because she too, wanted to see how Numia’s new matchmaking scheme would end.

Less than a minute later, Numia returned. She was soaked from head to toe, and missing a few feathers. She was also bawling her eyes out, very loudly!

Numia had not even cried when the princess had her people beat her up.

"What happened?" Sienna asked.

Numia ran past Sienna, to the backyard. Those hiding in the trees and corners finally came down. Mija was the only one laughing her heart out. "You should have seen it Sienna, Grace Twindell has a tongue that is as dangerous as yours. First, his guards intervened when she tried to touch him, splashing her with buckets of water, and then he said--" She cleared her throat. "I have met many gold diggers all my life, starting from when I was six years old. None however, was as plain looking or beady eyed as you. Your husband must be a blind man, or a desperate one or perhaps a hopeless romantic. Either way, my sorrows to him."