Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 312: Episode 310: Telling the Truth to Caspian.

Roxy’s indignant scream echoed down the second-floor hallway, her legs kicking uselessly in the air.

She clutched the sleeping, milk-drunk Tyara tightly to her chest to ensure the baby wasn’t jostled, glaring up at the massive, thoroughly unapologetic White Tiger Alpha holding her.

Torian didn’t even flinch. A deep, chest-rattling purr vibrated through his broad chest, signaling his absolute, smug satisfaction.

"You are not a kid," Torian agreed smoothly, his dark eyes entirely devoid of repentance as he carried her effortlessly toward the nursery. "You are my Queen. And my Queen has just awoken from a three-day sleep after pushing my heir into the world. You will let me pamper you, Roxy, or I will wrap you in furs and carry you around this Manor until winter comes."

Roxy let out a huff of exasperated breath, though a fond, helpless smile tugged at the corners of her lips. It was impossible to stay mad at him when he looked at her with such overwhelming, single-minded devotion.

She stopped kicking and leaned her head against his solid collarbone, allowing him to carry her the rest of the way.

Torian stepped through the arched doorway of the nursery.

The room was bathed in the warm, golden light of the late afternoon. Dena was already waiting for them.

"Allow me, Queen Roxy," Dena murmured softly, her eyes shining with absolute reverence as she looked at the newborn royal cub.

Roxy carefully transferred the sleeping Tyara into Dena’s waiting arms. The wolf-shifter moved, carrying the tiny, fluffy-eared infant over to the heavy iron-wood crib Kaelen had warded with warming runes.

As Lyra tucked the blankets around Tyara, Torian gently set Roxy down on her own two feet. He kept one large hand resting securely on the small of her back to ensure she was perfectly steady.

"Look," Torian rumbled quietly, gesturing with his free hand toward the far wall of the nursery.

Roxy followed his gaze, and her breath immediately caught in her throat.

Right next to Tyara’s heavy iron-wood crib was a second, completely new bed. It wasn’t forged from the dark, rustic wood of the forest.

It was a beautiful, meticulously crafted crib made of polished white birch and lined with shimmering silks that mirrored the iridescent glow of abyssal pearls.

"We built an additional crib for baby Zale," Torian explained, his voice dropping to a low, respectful octave. "Zarek carved the frame himself, Syris treated the wood to mimic the smooth texture of coral, and Ren enchanted the mattress to remain perfectly cool so the abyssal magic in his core wouldn’t overheat in the dry air."

Roxy covered her mouth with both hands.

Wow....

She turned and threw her arms around Torian’s thick neck, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you," she whispered thickly, her voice cracking with gratitude. "Thank you, Rian. You have no idea how much it means to me that you all accept him."

Torian wrapped his massive arms around her, pressing a fierce kiss to the top of her dark curls. "He is yours, Roxy. That makes him pack. We protect our own."

Roxy sniffled, wiping her eyes as she pulled back slightly. The overwhelming wave of love for her mates made her heart physically ache. She looked around the quiet nursery, suddenly realizing how remarkably empty the Manor felt.

"Where is everyone else?" Roxy asked, her brow furrowing slightly. "Usually, the moment I am awake, Kaelen is hovering with a bowl of soup, and Zarek is glaring at anyone who breathes too loudly."

Torian let out a soft, amused snort. "They are fulfilling their duties. Zarek went to the peaks with Drax to do a proper perimeter check on the dragon tribe. He wanted to ensure the Wither-Rot hadn’t mutated in the high altitudes."

"And Syris?"

"Syris is with Tanith in the eastern wing, doing a thorough check-up on her," Torian supplied, his tone turning clinical. "The cold season is approaching fast. Their hibernation period is nearing very soon, and Syris needs to ensure the little one is healthy enough to sleep through the winter safely."

Roxy nodded, making a mental note to ask Syris about heating charms for Tanith’s room later. "What about Kaelen and Ren?"

"Kaelen took the triplets out to the training yard to burn off their excess energy," Torian continued. "And Ren... Ren is currently in the downstairs parlor. He is speaking to Caspian."

The moment Torian said the Merman’s name, a jolt of pure adrenaline shot straight through Roxy’s system.

The chaotic, agonizing blur of childbirth had completely overshadowed the miraculous, impossible reality of Caspian’s arrival. The last time she had seen him, he was kneeling in her blood, covered in dirt, looking entirely mortal.

"I need to see him," Roxy declared instantly, her violet eyes widening with sudden urgency.

Without waiting for Torian’s permission, she spun on her heel and marched out of the nursery. She made her way downstairs, her bare feet moving swiftly over the polished floorboards. Torian followed closely behind her like a massive, silent shadow, his protective instincts on high alert, but he didn’t try to stop her.

Roxy rounded the corner into the grand downstairs parlor.

Sitting in one of the oversized leather armchairs was Ren, his vibrant red hair catching the sunlight as he spoke in a low, serious tone. Sitting directly across from him, dressed in a pair of borrowed linen trousers and a loose-fitting cotton shirt that hung slightly loose on his frame, was Caspian.

The Merman King looked drastically different from the god-like merman she had known in the deep. His stark white hair was clean now, tied back neatly at the nape of his neck, but the ethereal, shimmering abyssal aura was entirely gone. He looked paler, more grounded, and undeniably fragile.

The moment Roxy stepped into the room, Ren and Caspian immediately ceased their conversation and stood up.

Roxy didn’t hesitate. She launched herself across the parlor, practically throwing herself into Caspian’s arms.

Caspian let out a sharp, breathless gasp, stumbling back a half-step as he caught her. His arms wrapped fiercely around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. He buried his face in her dark curls, inhaling the sweet, living scent of her skin as if it were the only oxygen left in the world.

Roxy hugged him tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt the steady, thumping rhythm of his heart against her cheek. It didn’t sound like the slow, booming, pressurized heartbeat of a leviathan anymore. It sounded fast. It sounded mortal.

"I am so sorry," Roxy whispered into his shirt, her hands gripping his back. "I am so sorry for what I said, and I am so sorry you had to go through all of this alone."

"Do not apologize to me, my Queen," Caspian murmured, his hoarse voice lacking its abyssal resonance, yet overflowing with raw, unfiltered love. "I am exactly where I want to be."

Roxy slowly pulled back, keeping her hands resting flat against his chest. She looked up into his striking silver-blue eyes, and then, her gaze dropped downward.

She looked at the linen trousers. She looked at the two solid, human legs supporting his weight on the floorboards.

The fierce, pragmatic Matriarch of the Iron-Wood instantly replaced the weeping, relieved mate.

"Caspian," Roxy started, her tone dropping into a serious, uncompromising octave. She locked her violet eyes onto his. "What has been bothering me since the moment I heard your voice outside my window... how did you get here? Why are you with legs? What exactly happened in the Spires?"

Caspian’s jaw tightened. A flash of profound, ancient grief shadowed his eyes for a microsecond before he expertly masked it with a soft, dismissive smile.

"It doesn’t matter, Roxy," Caspian tried to dodge the question smoothly, gently brushing a stray curl from her cheek. "What matters is that I am here with you and Zale now."

"Don’t you dare," Roxy snapped, stepping back just an inch, her eyes flashing with a sudden, fiery anger. "Don’t you dare lie to me, and don’t you dare shut me out to protect me. Tell me what you did, Caspian, or I swear to the gods I will be very angry with you."

Caspian froze. He looked at Ren, who offered a grim, silent nod, silently confirming that the Queen of the Iron-Wood would not be swayed by half-truths.

Caspian let out a long, heavy, world-weary sigh. His broad shoulders slumped in defeat. He reached out, taking both of her hands in his calloused, mortal ones.

"The magic of the Beastworld demands an equivalent exchange, Roxy," Caspian began, his voice trembling slightly as he prepared to shatter her heart with the absolute truth of his mortal lifespan and his eternal banishment from the sea. "To gain a human vessel, I had to give up my—"

"WAAAAAAH!" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

A sudden, furious, ear-piercing wail erupted from the second floor, echoing loudly down the grand staircase.

Caspian’s words completely died in his throat. He blinked, the heavy, devastating tension in the parlor instantly shattering under the sheer volume of the newborn’s demands.

He let out a weak, breathy chuckle, his shoulders relaxing as he offered Roxy a small, saved-by-the-bell smile.

"Go upstairs," Caspian said weakly, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "Tyara is crying again..."