Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 85

Chapter 85: The Dad Who Came Back

"I am not a savior," I said, my voice echoing slightly in the empty, freezing room. "And I am definitely not a Nine-Tailed Fox."

I looked at Lord Bastion, trying to keep my expression neutral. Inside, my gamer brain was screaming. I have zero magic. I can’t even light a stove without a mana-stone.

"I’m just a nanny with a weird birth defect," I insisted, gesturing to my lack of a tail. "I can’t use Divine Magic. I can’t even use regular magic."

Bastion stared at me for a long moment, the frantic hope in his eyes dimming slightly, replaced by a heavy resignation. He slumped back against the mantle.

"Perhaps," he murmured. "Or perhaps the power is simply dormant. Regardless... it is a lead. The only one we have."

"I’ll look into it," I promised, though I felt like I was lying. "But right now, we have an immediate problem. The Void is still out there. And I know... someone else who is infected."

Bastion stiffened. "Another victim?"

"A friend," I said carefully. "The corruption is slow, but it’s spreading. Do you have anything—an artifact, a potion, anything—that can suppress it better than soup?"

Bastion hesitated. He walked over to a glass display case in the corner. He unlocked it with a touch of his thumb and pulled out a small, heavy object.

It was a pendant. A rough, unpolished white stone encased in a cage of dark iron. It didn’t look magical; it looked like a piece of a dead star.

"This is Star-Iron," Bastion explained, handing it to me. It was shockingly cold to the touch. "It absorbs ambient entropy. It will not cure the Void, but it acts as a dam. It will freeze the corruption in place for a time. Whoever wears this must never take it off."

I clenched the cold stone in my fist. "Thank you."

I put it in my pocket. Then, I looked him in the eye.

"Now," I said firmly. "You need to pay for this consultation."

Bastion blinked. "I... beg your pardon?"

"Payment," I repeated. "Come with me. To the Daycare."

Bastion recoiled as if I’d slapped him. "I cannot. She... she hates me. You saw her face in the market. She looked at me with such disdain."

"She didn’t look at you with disdain," I corrected softly. "She looked at you with heartbreak. She thinks you wish she was dead, Bastion. She thinks she’s a monster that you threw away."

Bastion’s face crumbled. "No. Never. She is my heart."

"Then tell her," I said. "Don’t tell me. Tell her."

I held out my hand.

"Come on. The monsters are waiting."

Walking out of the Obsidian Estate with the Grand Duke in tow was a surreal experience.

The heavy iron gates creaked open.

General Rajah, Lord Rurik, Archduke Cassian, and Duke Lucien were standing in a semi-circle, looking ready to siege the castle. Rurik was holding a battering ram (which was just a large tree trunk he had found).

When they saw me walk out unharmed, Rajah visibly relaxed. When they saw Bastion walking behind me, looking pale and shaken, Cassian raised an eyebrow.

"Target acquired," Cassian noted, tapping his crystal slate. "Diplomacy successful."

"Aw," Rurik grunted, dropping the tree trunk with a ground-shaking THUD. "I wanted to kick the door."

Bastion stopped. He looked at the Four Warlords—the most powerful men on the continent—standing guard for a nanny.

"You keep dangerous company, Tutor," Bastion murmured.

"They’re big softies," I smiled. "Usually."

The ride back was quiet. Bastion sat in the corner of the carriage, staring at his hands. The Warlords, sensing the gravity of the situation, kept their usual banter to a minimum. Even Rurik only ate two bags of jerky.

---

Evening at Little Whiskers Daycare.

When we opened the door to the Daycare, the sun was setting, casting a warm, orange glow over the room.

It was peaceful. Luna was reading a story in the corner. Jax was napping on the rug. King Caspian was still in his armchair, sketching on a piece of paper.

And Ellia...

Ellia was asleep.

She was curled up on the sofa, her head resting on a throw pillow. Clover was asleep next to her, using Ellia’s arm as a pillow. Arjun was asleep on the floor, holding Ellia’s foot.

It was a pile of exhausted, happy children.

Bastion stood in the doorway. He stopped breathing.

He stared at his daughter. He saw her messy hair, the sugar on her cheek, and the way she was holding onto the bunny’s paw.

"She looks..." Bastion’s voice cracked. "...so small."

"She is small," I whispered. "She’s eight."

Bastion took a step forward. The floorboard creaked.

Ellia stirred. Her eyes fluttered open.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Primrose? Did you bring more donu—"

She stopped.

She saw the tall, golden-haired man standing in the center of the room.

The air in the room froze. The other cubs woke up, sensing the tension. Arjun sat up, his ears flattening, ready to protect his new pack member.

"Papa?" Ellia whispered.

Bastion didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. He just dropped to his knees.

He didn’t care about his expensive trousers. He didn’t care about the Warlords watching. He kneeled on the rug so he was eye-level with her.

"Ellia," he choked out. "My little Lion."

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