Leah observed her mistress carefully.
She had served Ruela for her entire life, so she could read her moods from the smallest changes in expression.
Right now, it was obvious—Ruela was on the verge of exploding.
She had reached her wit’s end after realizing there was no way out of this predicant.
She would be disgraced, shad by the entire kingdom, and completely alienated by everyone she knew, including her family.
In fact, she might even be driven out of the kingdom, not by the King, but by other beastn who had long been waiting for her downfall.
’And all that encouragent I fed her has finally borne fruit,’ Leah thought smugly. ’Now everyone despises you and can’t wait to step on you once you’ve fallen... and pities for enduring your tornt, Ruela.’
Yet Leah also wondered what Ruela would do next.
Her mistress had always resorted to extre actions when cornered.
’Still, I don’t care,’ Leah decided. ’I want her to keep making mistakes, so she’ll leave the palace at her lowest. Then, I’ll beg to stay on as a palace maid... then climb my way up to be a head maid... or even more.
"I have nothing more to say," Vestor declared coldly. "You’ve been dismissed and will be properly compensated. Start packing now, then et at the treasury this evening. I’ll assist you in retrieving whatever you fancy."
With that, he turned away.
Ruela collapsed to the floor like a puppet which strings had been cut and began to wail uncontrollably.
The wise owl frowned deeper as he left the concubine’s room, because even after he walked far from Ruela’s room, her loud wail could still be heard.
’It was a mistake to appoint her in the first place,’ Vestor thought. ’I should’ve advised my King to choose soone more mature. Soone who wouldn’t dare harbor improper ambitions.’
His thoughts drifted to the Queen’s Courtyard and to the human woman residing there.
There was no doubt, Sisi was the most beautiful woman Vestor had ever laid eyes on. He was certain every man present at the banquet had thought the sa.
Yet at the sa ti, they had been wary of her.
Ruela was beautiful, but in a common way. Young, pretty, and seemingly harmless.
She attracted glances and admiration, but not obsession.
Sisi, on the other hand, didn’t look entirely human.
Her features were too perfect—like a blend of human, faerie, and angel.
Why faerie?
Vestor had encountered faeries as a child.
One in particular—a female faerie—had features strikingly similar to Sisi’s: slightly pointed ears, innocent-looking eyes, and a mischievous grin that hinted at danger beneath her delicate appearance.
And angel?
Because the way Sisi looked at the Little Prince reminded him of a guardian angel, one who had descended solely to protect Jojo.
Her eyes would soften considerably in front of the Little Prince, and based on his observation. Thus, he was also convinced that Sisi ca to the Beast Kingdom solely for Jojo.
’Her background isn’t simple,’ Vestor mused. ’If she were truly an ordinary girl, her beauty alone would’ve dood her. She would’ve been kidnapped or forced to marry a powerful man long before reaching adulthood.’
As he walked from the concubine’s courtyard toward the Queen’s Courtyard, Vestor grew increasingly uneasy.
He already knew Sisi wasn’t soone to underestimate, especially because of her bond with the Little Prince.
And after nearly losing his position once, the thought of angering her made his feathers bristle.
’If I make another mistake,’ he worried, ’I may lose not just my position—I might get executed right in front of my entire tribe.’
Unfortunately, his unease doubled the mont he entered the Queen’s Courtyard.
Just as he was about to announce himself to the guards, he spotted the Beast King seated in the garden—with Sisi sitting opposite of him.
They faced each other in complete silence and their expression were not delightful at all.
The air between them was tense—as if they had just quarreled.
’Oh no...’ Vestor cursed his luck. ’Should I retreat while I still can?’
**
Kael had been seated on his uncomfortable throne for quite so ti, listening to reports about the kingdom during his absence.
He nodded along, acknowledging each matter with approval.
Aside from Vestor’s grave mistake at Jojo’s banquet, the wise owl had managed the kingdom admirably.
That was one of the reasons Kael hadn’t dismissed him outright.
Vestor was a capable statesman and a great advisor.
But even the best had a weakness, and Vestor simply had a weakness for beauty.
’Probably why he sympathized with Ruela so much,’ Kael thought. ’Doesn’t he have five wives and a dozen offspring back in his tribe? Lustful old owl.’
Then again, such behavior was common among alpha beastn.
Even Jojo’s mother hadn’t been the alpha’s first wife.
Kael’s thoughts drifted to his grim past.
Back then, he had been nothing more than a murder weapon—a killer forged and controlled by the pack’s alpha. A soldier who obeyed so long as he was promised a place to belong.
’That alpha was weak,’ Kael scoffed. ’Without , that damned pack would’ve been wiped out long ago.’
Still, sothing good had co from that hellhole.
Jojo.
He was born from a timid silver-haired woman, and it was only Kael who witnessed his birth.
’I really am an anomaly among beastn,’ Kael sighed. ’I even dismissed my only concubine for my son.’
Yet, he didn’t regret it, nor did he think that he made a wrong decision.
Power dictated everything in the beastn’s world—and he had more than enough power to ignore opinions.
Yet a new thought crept in.
’What does Vestor think of Sisi? She is... dangerously beautiful,’ His frown deepened as he recalled that he told Vestor to co to Sisi’s courtyard after he dismissed Ruela.
’What if that damned owl grows interested in her? What if he tries to get close?’
For so reason, the already unbearable throne felt even more uncomfortable as Kael imagined the old owl daring to flirt with Sisi.
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