Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 157: Episode : A Story of Mulan

"You are tense here," Zarek murmured, scrubbing her left shoulder with a firmness that bordered on a deep-tissue massage. "And here."

The steam rising from the indoor bath pond curled into the air like white dragons, carrying the scent of minerals and lavender.

Roxy sat on the submerged stone bench, the water lapping just above her chest, while Zarek stood behind her.

"That’s because I was twerking for an audience of wolves, Z," Roxy sighed, leaning back against his rock-hard abs. "My glutes are going to file a lawsuit tomorrow."

"Twerking," Zarek repeated the foreign word, testing it on his tongue. "If that is the hip movement... I approve of the lawsuit."

"Focus, dragon. You wanted a story," Roxy reminded him, splashing a bit of water.

"Proceed," Zarek commanded, rinsing her back with a wooden ladle of hot water.

"Okay. So, there was this girl named Mulan," Roxy began, her voice echoing softly against the stone walls. "Her father was called to war, but he was old and had a bad leg. So, Mulan cut her hair, stole his armor, and pretended to be a man to fight in his place."

Zarek paused his scrubbing. "She disguised herself? Did she not smell like a female?"

"Humans don’t have super noses like you guys," Roxy explained. "Visuals are everything. Anyway, she went to the training camp..."

The sliding door to the bathhouse creaked open.

"We heard storytelling," Kaelen announced, walking in with a towel slung over his shoulder.

He was followed by Syris and Torian. The three of them shed their robes without an ounce of shame, living with beasts had cured Roxy of her blushing long ago, they slipped into the massive pond.

"Ah," Torian groaned as the hot water hit his tired muscles. He waded over to where Roxy and Zarek were, sitting on the bench beside her. "The water is good."

"The pups?" Roxy asked Kaelen.

"Out cold," Kaelen smirked, dunking his head to wet his hair. "Drax is snoring so loud he’s vibrating the floorboards. The triplets are piled on top of each other. Peace has been restored."

"Good," Roxy smiled. She leaned her head onto Torian’s broad, wet shoulder. "I was just telling Zarek about Mulan."

"Who is Mulan?" Torian asked, wrapping a heavy arm around her waist to anchor her. "Is she a Tiger?"

"She’s a human," Roxy yawned. "A warrior."

"Start over," Torian urged gently. "I want to hear it."

"Again?" Roxy groaned, her eyelids feeling heavy. The heat of the water, the massage from Zarek, and the solid warmth of Torian were conspiring to put her into a coma. "Okay... short version. Girl... steals sword... fights Huns... saves China..."

"What is a Hun?" Torian asked.

"Bad guy," Roxy mumbled. "Big... bad... guy."

"And did she bite him?" Torian pressed.

Her head lolled forward. Her breathing evened out into a soft rhythm, even before she could form a complete sentence.

The four Kings fell silent.

Zarek stopped scrubbing. He exchanged a look with Torian.

"She is out," Zarek stated quietly.

"She worked her body hard today," Kaelen said softly, looking at her with affection.

Torian looked down at the woman sleeping against his shoulder. He brushed a wet strand of hair from her cheek.

"I will take her," Torian whispered.

He stood up carefully, lifting Roxy out of the water. She didn’t stir, limp and trusting in his arms. He grabbed a large, fluffy towel and wrapped her up like a burrito.

"Dry her well," Syris instructed from the water. "Do not let her catch a cold."

"I know how to care for my mate, Snake," Torian grunted, stepping out of the pond.

He carried her to the Master Suite, laid her on the Emperor bed, and the four of them dressed quietly, settling in around her warmly.

Three hours later.

Roxy’s eyes snapped open.

She didn’t know what woke her. It wasn’t a sound. It was the alarm that said ’The Glitter Bomb is awake.’

She carefully shimmied out from under Torian’s heavy arm and Kaelen’s leg. She grabbed her silk robe, tied it tight, and padded out of the room.

She walked to the Nursery in the East Wing.

The door was ajar.

Inside, the moonlight spilled across the floor. And there, standing by the crib, was Ren.

He wasn’t using magic this time. He was just leaning on the railing, humming a tune that sounded mournful and ancient.

He just turned his head slowly, his violet eyes catching the moonlight.

"She wakes with the moon," Ren whispered.

"She’s nocturnal," Roxy whispered back, walking in. "Like her daddy."

Ren stepped aside to let her reach the crib. Tanith was awake, her white scales glittering, looking up with wide, expectant eyes.

Roxy picked her up. "Hey, pretty girl. Snack time?"

She sat in the rocking chair. Ren didn’t leave. He stood by the window, watching her with a quiet intensity.

Roxy looked at him. In the loose white tunic he wore for sleep, without his stiff ceremonial robes or his fan, he looked... normal.

"You know," Roxy murmured, adjusting the baby. "You remind me of the humans back in my world."

Ren tilted his head. "Is that an insult? You told me humans are squishy."

"No," Roxy chuckled softly. "It’s a compliment. The others... Zarek, Torian... they are forces of nature. They are fire and claws. But you just seem different."

Ren let out a short, dry laugh but didn’t say anything.

Tanith finished feeding and let out a soft burp, her eyes drooping. Within minutes, she was asleep again. Roxy placed her back in the crib, tucking the blanket around her.

"Come on," Roxy whispered to Ren.

"Where?"

"You owe me a conversation," she smirked. "And I’m not tired anymore."

She led him out of the nursery, through the silent halls, and out into the central courtyard. They walked to the wooden bridge that arched over the koi pond and sat on the ironwood bench.

The water below was black and glassy, reflecting the stars.

"So," Roxy said, tucking her legs up under her robe. "Tell me about your childhood," Roxy prodded. "Did you always want to be a King? Did you play in the mud?"

Ren stiffened. Trying to form a story in his head.

"It was... loud," Ren lied, a soft smile playing on his lips. "The Fox Palace is full of glass chimes. I used to run through the halls with my brothers, knocking them over just to hear the crash."

"You were a brat?" Roxy teased.

"I was spirited," Ren corrected, glancing at her. "I climbed the trees. I stole pastries from the kitchens. My mother used to chase me."

All these were true. But only to an extent.

He painted a picture of golden sunlight, laughter, and warmth, everything he had never had. He gave himself the childhood he wished he possessed.

"It sounds nice," Roxy said, resting her chin on her knee. "Normal."

"It was," Ren whispered, the lie tasting like ash in his mouth. "Very normal."

He looked at her. She was bathed in starlight, her face open and trusting. She believed him. And because she believed him, for a moment, he felt like maybe it could have been true.

"You know," Roxy said, her voice dropping to a lower, softer register. "When you ran away yesterday... when I saw your neck..."

Ren tensed.

"I wasn’t scared," Roxy finished, turning to face him fully. "I just wanted to help. Maybe I can fix you."

Ren’s heart hammered against his ribs. What was she saying? He didn’t quite understand, but he knew she really wanted to help him.

"I am not broken, Roxy," he whispered, turning his body toward her.

"Then stop acting like you’re fading away," she challenged gently.

They were close now. The space on the bench seemed to shrink. The silence of the night wrapped around them, heavy and charged.

Ren looked at her lips. He remembered the feeling of touching them; he wanted to taste it. He wanted to steal just a little bit of her life, not to heal himself, but just to know what it felt like to be truly alive.

Roxy didn’t pull away. She leaned in, her eyes searching his violet ones, drawn by the sadness she saw hiding behind his beautiful eyes.

It reminded her so much of hers.

"Ren," she breathed.

He leaned closer, his breath hitched. He closed his eyes, tilting his head; their lips were millimeters apart.

[Ding!]

[Target: Ren (King of Illusions)]

[Current Status: Intrigued / Guarded / Desperate.]

[Affection Level: 55%]