Chapter 55: Chapter 55 - Have I Been Too Lenient Recently?
Chapter Fifty Five
"Daddy! You’re back!"
I barely had time to set my foot inside the residence before a small blur crashed into my legs with all the force a child her size could muster.
I laughed under my breath as I crouched to put down Lune, who I had been giving a piggy bank, carefully steadying her before straightening.
"My baby!" I instantly lifted my little bundle of money into my arms, rubbing my cheek against hers, breathing her in like a man who had been holding his breath for far too long.
Zein stood a short distance away with Lady Selia and Lady Elena, all three watching quietly. Zein looked composed, but the faint tightening of his jaw did not escape me.
Fucker is jealous. Little does he know, I’m gonna never let him marry my baby.
"Oh baby. Daddy missed you so so much."
Lily’s laughter was soft and bright, the sound smoothing over the sharp edges that had been clawing at my chest all day.
My money bank. Ah! How quickly does my heart relax the moment she is within arm’s reach? She even smells like money. My little retirement fund. Hic.
"The Princess missed Your Grace a lot too." Elena said gently, making my eyes part from my money bank and look up at her.
"Ah... Lady Elena," I acknowledged, nodding toward her as my lips pressed into a thin line.
Elena stepped forward, her hands twisting nervously in the fabric of her skirts. Her eyes were red as if she had cried all night yesterday, her posture stiff. "I’m really sorry for what happened that day, Your Grace. I shouldn’t have... I was just so worried. I acted without thinking."
The memory of her suffocating grasp before I left flickered in my mind.
"It’s okay, Lady Elena. I understand the intent. However," my voice hardened slightly, "please stop doing that. I don’t like people touching me out of nowhere. Boundaries exist for a reason."
"Yes, Your Grace," she whispered, bowing her head.
Lily shifted in my arms. Her bright eyes weren’t on Elena, though. They were fixed on the silent figure standing in my shadow.
Lunethrix had instinctively curled her tail around her legs, her large, tufted ears pinned back as she surveyed the crowd of humans with eyes full of fear.
"Daddy! Who’s that big sister?" Lily asked, her voice full of wonder. "She has pretty ears and a tail like a fox too!"
"That’s a fox-kin, Lily," I explained, smoothing back my daughter’s hair. "I brought her back to stay with us for a while."
"Does she have a name like mine, Daddy?"
"Yes, she does. Do you want to know it?"
Lily’s head bobbed frantically. "Mhn! Nhm! Me wanna know! Me wanna know right now!"
"Then," I said, a small smirk playing on my lips as I set her down on her own two feet, "shouldn’t Lily be friendly and ask her herself?"
Lily took a confident step forward, her tiny hand reaching out in a gesture of pure, innocent greeting. But before she could get within three feet of Lunethrix, a hand shot out and gripped her wrist with bruising force.
"No!" Elena cried out, her voice shrill with panic. "The Princess cannot go near a beast! What if it hurts her? Your Grace, you are being far too careless!"
Why is everyone crossing the line repeatedly today? Have I been too lenient recently?
"Elena! Let go of the Princess’s hand!" Selia barked, her eyes widening in shock. "You’re being rude!"
"But sister, this beast—"
"Let. Go. Of. My. Daughter’s. Hand." My voice cut through the room like a blade. Lady Elena flinched her fingers recoiling as if she had touched a hot stove releasing Lily immediately.
"Hic... Daddy?" Lily looked down at her small wrist. The skin was pale, but faint red marks were already beginning to bloom where Elena’s grip had been too tight.
I knelt down immediately, my heart aching. "Does it hurt, baby?"
Hurting my money bank is an unforgivable sin.
Lily looked at the marks, then at the trembling Elena, and finally back to me. She offered a wobbly, foolishly brave grin. "Not at all! Lady Elena was just worried about my well-being, Daddy."
I caught Zein’s eye.
Haah...
The boy stepped forward, his expression uncharacteristically grim for his age. "Being worried about someone’s well-being doesn’t give another the right to harm them," Zein said, his voice steady. "Any person has the right to make their life’s decisions without being pulled back by anyone forcefully. You can warn them, but at no point does it give you the right to make them do what you think is right.
"Zein! Stop talking like an old man again!" Lily huffed, crossing her arms. "Lady Elena didn’t mean to hurt me."
"Zein is right, Lily," I said softly, standing back up.
Lily’s lower lip trembled. "Daddy... You too?"
"I..." Elena started, but I stopped herself as soon as she noticed my empty gaze on her.
"Stop by my office later, Lady Elena. I don’t want to have this talk in front of Lily.
"I... I understand, Your Grace," she stammered, shrinking back toward her sister.
"Daddy! Please don’t scold Lady Elena," Lily pleaded, tugging on my coat.
"I’m not, baby. But we need to talk. Adults have to discuss rules sometimes so everyone stays safe. Okay?"
"Pinky promise?" She held out her tiny finger.
I hooked mine into hers. "Pinky promise."
Relieved, Lily turned her boundless energy back toward the guest.
Lunethrix had watched the entire exchange with wide, wary eyes. She seemed baffled by the small human child who wasn’t screaming in fear of her and holding prejudice despite being warned.
Lily walked up to her, stopping just outside of Lunethrix’s personal space. "Big sis? Hello! My name is Lily! What is your name?"
Lunethrix’s throat hitched. A low sound, somewhere between a purr and a growl, escaped her. "Krrrrhhh."
"Huh?" Lily tilted her head.
"She can’t speak right now, Lily," I intervened, moving to stand behind Lune. I placed my hand on her shoulder, making her flinch at first, before relaxing. "She lost her voice for a while. Give her your palm."
"Like this, Daddy?" Lily held her hand flat, palm upward.
"Yes."
Lunethrix looked at me, a silent question in her amber eyes. I nodded encouragingly. Slowly, she sank to her knees so she was eye-level with Lily before taking Lily’s tiny hand in hers, as she began to trace letters and Lily began to pronounce them one by one.
"L. U. N. E. T. H. R. I. X. Lunetrix?"
Lunethrix’s lips twitched. A small smile broke across her face as she leaned down and carefully traced the ’H’ again, emphasizing the breathy sound.
"Oh! Lune-thrix," Lily corrected herself, beaming. "Welcome to my home, Big Sis Lune!"
"Krrh," Lunethrix chirped, her tail giving a single wag.
Swish!
How adorable.
[Ping!]
[Indeed.]
Your jealousy finally calmed down, huh.
[Ping!]
[No...]
So, you’re still jealous of a probable teenage beastkin? I’m not a pedophile, Sysi.
[Ping!]
[Host is stupid! We weren’t jealous! We got cut off!]
...What?