Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 116

Chapter 116: The Last Dance

The ballroom was a sea of jewels, velvet, and whispered judgment.

Hundreds of nobles filled the gilded hall, holding crystal flutes and eyeing the massive golden doors. The rumors had been flying all day. The King had returned. The Warlords were united. And the Nanny was at the center of it all.

"I hear she bewitched them," a Duchess whispered behind her fan.

"I heard she is a foreign spy," a Count muttered.

"I heard she doesn’t even have a tail," a Lady scoffed.

Then, the heavy golden doors groaned. The Royal Herald stepped forward, slamming his staff onto the marble.

"Presenting!" the Herald bellowed. "His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Leonis! And His Majesty, King Caspian de Maris!"

The doors swung wide.

Emperor Leonis stood at the top of the stairs, looking down with a warm, regal smile. Beside him stood Princess Leonora and Grand Duke Bastion. Beside Bastion’s leg was Lady Ellia.

The Little Whiskers crew entered.

They didn’t walk in; they conquered the room. Luna and Jax were having fun by themselves as well.

General Rajah carried Arjun on his shoulder. Lord Rurik walked with Vali. Archduke Cassian held Jasper’s hand. Duke Lucien shielded Silas.

And Caspian walked in with Primrose.

The crowd gasped. The Moon-Weave dress rippled around Primrose like liquid silver. She held her head high, radiating an aura of ancient, serene power that silenced every critic in the room.

They approached the throne.

"Welcome," Emperor Leonis boomed, his voice like thunder wrapped in velvet. "I am glad to see the Little Whiskers family accepted our invitation. The Capital has been... quieter without you."

"We live to serve, Your Majesty," Caspian bowed, his hand firm on Primrose’s waist.

Grand Duke Bastion stepped forward. He looked at Primrose and bowed deeply—a shock to the court.

"Lady Primrose," Bastion said earnestly. "I have not forgotten what you did for my daughter, Ellia. You saved her debut. You saved her confidence. The House of Bastion is in your debt."

"It was my pleasure, Grand Duke," Primrose curtsied perfectly. "You don’t have to thank me for the hundredth time."

Suddenly, Arjun hopped down from Rajah’s shoulder. He adjusted his tiny white tuxedo and walked up to Ellia.

"Hi Ellia," Arjun grinned, his tiger tail wagging. "You look... shiny." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Ellia blushed, hiding her face behind her fan, but her tail twitched happily. "You look... dashing, Arjun."

The Emperor laughed. "Well, it seems the next generation is getting along. Let the music play!"

The conductor tapped his baton. The orchestra began a slow, sweeping waltz.

Caspian turned to Primrose. "May I?"

She took his hand.

He pulled her onto the floor. It wasn’t like the clumsy dance in the snow. This was effortless. They glided across the marble, perfectly in sync.

"You know," Caspian whispered, leaning close so only she could hear. "This reminds me of those stuffy charity galas my Architectural Firm used to host in Seoul."

Primrose smiled, looking up at him. "The ones you probably hated?"

"The ones I escaped early," Caspian corrected, his eyes warm with the memory. "I would sneak out the back, loosen my tie, and drive straight to a certain bistro in Gangnam. Table 4. You were quite bold and fierce back then."

"I remember," Primrose whispered. "You always looked so tired. You’d order the Braised Short Ribs and sit there sketching buildings on napkins."

"I wasn’t just sketching," Caspian murmured, spinning her around. "I was falling in love. I fell in love with the Chef even before I ever saw her face. Your food... it was the only thing in that cold city that felt like home."

"And I used to watch you from the kitchen," Primrose admitted, her cheeks flushing. "I made sure your portions were extra large. I thought, That handsome Architect needs to eat more."

Caspian laughed softly. "So you were fattening me up?"

"I was nurturing you," she teased. "And look at you now. King of the Seas. Father of the Year."

"And look at you," Caspian said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Goddess of the Dawn. My Nanny. My Chef."

He pulled her closer, ignoring the scandalized whispers of the nobles.

"I am glad we came back here," he said. "Seoul was lonely. Here... I have you."

The ball was a triumph. The nobles were dazzled, the cubs ate half the buffet, and Vali successfully wrestled a lobster (and won).

By 1:00 AM, they were back at the Daycare.

The cubs were passed out in the nursery, a pile of tangled limbs and sleepy snores. The Warlords had retreated to their own estates. Jax and Luna went home to their various houses with Clover and Finn

Primrose walked up the stairs to her private apartment. She was exhausted, her feet aching, but her heart was full.

She opened the door—and found Caspian waiting inside.

He had loosened his tie and taken off his jacket. He was leaning against her small kitchen counter, looking dangerously handsome in the dim light.

"You’re still here?" Primrose whispered, closing the door and locking it.

"I can’t leave," Caspian said softly. "Not yet."

He walked over to her. The tension that had been building all night—all year—suddenly snapped.

"The dress," Caspian murmured, his hands settling on her waist. "It is beautiful. But I have been wanting to take it off you since we walked into the ballroom."

Primrose’s breath hitched. "Caspian..."

He didn’t let her finish. He kissed her.

It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was hungry, possessive, and searing with heat. He lifted her up, setting her on the edge of her vanity table, stepping between her legs.

Primrose wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. The Moon-Weave silk rustled as his hands explored the curve of her back.

"Are we..." Primrose gasped between kisses. "Are we doing this?"

"I am done waiting," Caspian growled against her neck, sending shivers down her spine. "I almost lost you to the Void. I almost lost myself. I am not wasting another second."

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