Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 237

Chapter 237: The Shadow, The Duck, and the Art of Stealth

The basic principles of assassination require three things: absolute silence, total darkness, and the element of surprise.

Currently, the Lord of Shadows was batting zero for three.

The afternoon sun was blazing over the manor’s eastern courtyard, entirely eliminating the cover of darkness. The element of surprise had been ruined twenty minutes ago, and absolute silence was a physical impossibility when dealing with a waterfowl.

Lucien knelt in the soft grass, his long legs folded beneath him. He was wearing a simple, dark tunic, his violet eyes narrowed in deep, tactical concentration as he looked at his newest apprentice.

Standing exactly two feet away, completely illuminated by the bright sunlight, was a bright yellow frog.

"Stealth is a state of mind, Pip," Lucien rumbled softly, his deep voice carrying the grave seriousness of a master passing down forbidden martial arts. "You must empty your thoughts. You must lower your center of gravity. You must move without displacing the air."

Pip stared at him. The toddler blinked his large, dark eyes, the stuffed frog eyes on the hood of his raincoat bouncing slightly. He raised a chubby hand and aggressively scratched his nose.

Standing beside Lucien, taking his role as the Warlord-uncle very seriously, was Silas. The five-year-old panther-cub was wearing a miniature version of Lucien’s dark training gear.

"He is wearing a highly reflective canvas armor, brother," Silas noted quietly, his violet eyes analyzing the toddler. "It is mathematically impossible for him to blend into the shadows. He is practically glowing."

"A true master adapts to his camouflage," Lucien insisted stubbornly. He looked back at the duckling. "Pip. Watch Silas. Observe the shadow-step."

Silas gave a sharp, formal bow. The little panther-cub crouched low to the ground. In the blink of an eye, his form seemed to blur, melting seamlessly into the long shadow cast by a nearby oak tree. He moved across the grass without a single blade rustling, popping out from behind a stone bench ten feet away.

"Ta-da," Silas whispered proudly.

Lucien nodded in approval. "Flawless execution. Now, Pip. Your turn. Become the night."

Pip took a deep breath. His little chest puffed out. He dropped down into what was essentially a very deep, wobbly squat. Then, with absolute determination, Pip grabbed the edges of his bright yellow raincoat and pulled the hood down so far it completely covered his face.

Waddle. Waddle. Waddle.

Pip took three blind steps forward, tripped over his own rubber boots, and face-planted directly into the soft grass with a muffled "Honk." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

He didn’t get up. He simply lay there in the dirt, a motionless mound of bright yellow canvas, waiting for his applause.

Silas looked at Lucien. Lucien looked at Silas.

"His evasion technique is... unconventional," Lucien murmured, rubbing his temple. "But he is entirely committed."

A soft, ringing laugh echoed from the stone patio.

Juni was sitting at a wrought-iron table, sipping a cup of chamomile tea Primrose had brewed for her. She was wearing a comfortable, flowing sage dress, her magnificent silver-tipped wings resting lazily over the back of her chair. The golden mating band on her finger caught the sunlight as she rested her chin in her hand, watching the three boys with an expression of pure, overwhelming adoration.

"You are trying to teach a duck how to be a panther, Lucien," Juni smiled, her golden eyes sparkling with amusement. "He is fundamentally opposed to stealth. His entire biological imperative is to be loud and float."

Lucien sighed, though the sound was entirely fond. He stood up, his tall, imposing frame casting a long shadow over the grass. He walked over to the fallen yellow lump, reaching down with large, scarred hands to gently hoist the toddler back onto his feet.

Lucien carefully pushed the frog hood out of Pip’s eyes and brushed a stray blade of grass off his chubby cheek.

"You are a fierce warrior, Pip," Lucien praised gently, entirely ignoring the fact that his student had just defeated himself. "But perhaps we will focus on physical endurance today. Silas, initiate the evasion drill."

"Initiating evasion drill!" Silas chirped happily. The little panther-cub tapped Pip on the shoulder. "Tag! You’re it!"

Silas immediately bolted across the courtyard, laughing as he darted between the rose bushes.

Pip gasped, his eyes going wide with excitement. "Tag!" he shrieked, instantly abandoning all concepts of stealth to waddle furiously after his uncle, his little downy wings flapping under his coat.

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