Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 329: Episode 327: Dress Trying Day.

A few days had bled past since their return from the Central Beast Market and the claiming in the hot springs.

For Roxy, it had been a blur of creative fever, her knowledge of textile design finding perfect expression in the looms the market had doubled on her.

For her mates, however, it had been a period of growing, agonizing trepidation. They knew the signs. The hushed seclusion, the sudden requests for specific arm measurements, the critical glances at their current wardrobes.

As if she were thinking of which ones to burn or ones to turn into rags.

They didn’t want to part with them because Roxy made them for them. But they usually don’t have a choice; she always has her way of getting things done her way.

And today, the period of deception had officially ended.

Roxy stood at the head of the living room, hands on her hips, while assessing them with a serious expression. She was clad in a simple yet elegant forest-green linen dress. In one hand, she held a thick scroll of parchment, her intricate fashion sketches visible on the surface.

Her green eyes, so often warm with affection, were now narrowed in focus, a look her mates recognized as a harbinger of their impending doom. Behind her, a series of custom-built garment racks stood, draped in silk covers that obscured their contents, as if they were a fashion-focused line.

"Gather round, everyone," Roxy announced, her voice a calm bell that echoed too loudly in the silent hall. "I’ve spent the last few days in seclusion for a reason. And today, you are all finally ready."

She looked pointedly at the collective gathering of males. The six Alpha Kings, the teenage dragon, and the wolf twins all cowered in a synchronized, terrified half-circle, pressing against the far wall of the hall as if to blend with the tapestries.

Zarek, usually the most terrifying among them, was practically hunching behind a marble column, his eyes dilated with genuine panic. Even Torian, the White Tiger, let out a low, distressed chuff, his stripes appearing to visibly tremble.

"Ready for what, precisely?" Caspian, the mortal former Merman, inquired in a hoarse, trembling whisper, his human nervous system reacting violently to the imminent ’condescending’ fashion assessment.

He didn’t get why they were all overreacting.

"Ready to try on the clothes I made," Roxy continued, leveling an uncompromising glare.

A collective groan of despair rippled through the pack. They all knew the legend of Roxy’s fashion choices. She was meticulous. She was innovative. But most importantly, she could be pickier and more witheringly condescending about a mismatched seam than Zarek could be about a botched perimeter guard.

For an Alpha to be judged as fashion-backwards by their own mate was a humiliation they would never survive.

Not like they were used to dressing up before.

"And a special warning for you," Roxy continued, turning her critical gaze to the younger children. Drax groaned and tried to vanish behind Axel and Onyx, the seven-year-old wolf twins. "Do not even think about roughhousing. One torn seam, one grass stain, and I will personally put you on turnip-peeling duty for a decade. Is that clear?"

The children nodded frantically, their eyes wide. Drax crossed his arms over his chest, looking mortified. The twins practically saluted.

"Good," Roxy nodded, a single, approving smile cutting through the tension before she turned back to the garment racks. "We will begin with the males. You’ve been selected in groups. Let’s make this efficient."

She pulled the silk cover off the first rack, revealing a series of impeccable traditional Tang tops, inspired by the ancient ’Tangs’ style but adapted with her own specific aesthetic.

Each top featured a meticulous mandarin collar, a row of hand-sewn frog buttons that were themselves tiny works of art, and most importantly, a central, detailed embroidery of a stylized, coiling dragon, encased in a precise gold circle on the chest.

The cuffs were turned up, featuring a rich, patterned brocade adapted to each top’s primary color.

"Zarek. You are first." Roxy commanded.

The Dragon Alpha recoiled, uncoiling his massive frame from behind the column. He shuffled forward like a man marching to his execution.

"Here," Roxy stated, handing him a top. "Go behind the screen and change. The fit must be perfect."

Zarek took the garment. It was golden silk, a rich, molten color that mirrored the hue of his own dragon eyes. The embroidery of the dragon was rendered in shimmering silver thread, creating a beautiful contrast.

He emerged moments later, wearing the Tang top and the light beige, faintly pinstriped tailored trousers.

A collective gasp went through the hall, not one of amusement, but of absolute astonishment. The Tang top, hand-sewn to his precise, towering form, fit him impeccably.

The fabric clung to his massive, powerful muscles without constricting them, highlighting his strength. The gold silk complemented his tanned skin, and the dragon embroidery gave him an air of ancient, imperial authority.

Zarek stood self-consciously, trying to puff out his chest without tearing a seam. Roxy walked around him in a circle, her finger tracing a seam, her expression set in critique. Finally, she offered a single, rare nod.

"Perfect," she murmured.

He looks like someone I can push to the bed and eat to my satisfaction.

Zarek’s entire frame sagged with relief.

"Next, the blue group," Roxy announced, indicating the next series of garments. "Torian, Caspian, Kaelen, Axel, Onyx."

The blue group of males accepted their tops. For the Alphas, the tops were deep sapphire-blue silk, matching the clear blue of Torian’s eyes and the cool blue of Kaelen’s wolf eyes.

For Caspian, the top was a slightly different, shimmering turquoise-blue silk, reflecting the light of his blue eyes.

For Axel and Onyx, the tops were the same cobalt-blue silk, matching their blue eyes.

The Alphas Torian and Kaelen, along with Caspian, emerged in their sapphire-blue Tang tops and the corresponding beige trousers. Roxy’s critical eye swept over them. For Torian, the fit was snug over his massive tiger chest, but the silk was flexible.

He looked like a powerful, refined warlord. For Kaelen, the fit was impeccable, the blue complementing his cool demeanor. Caspian looked elegant and grounded, his human frame tailored perfectly.

The dragon embroidery on their tops was rendered in silver and white thread. They all received a critical nod.

Next, Axel and Onyx, the wolf twins, emerged in their cobalt-blue Tang tops. They had to be physically held by Ren and Torian to prevent them from immediately starting a wrestling match to test the ’torn seam’ rule.

In their blue traditional dress, they looked like two perfect miniatures of Kaelen. Roxy bent down, adjusting a button on Onyx’s collar. Her pickiness was evident, but her critical eye was satisfied.

"Green group next," Roxy called. "Syris, Ren, Drax, Zale."

Syris and Ren, the two green-eyed mates, emerged, joined by teenage Drax and the tiny abyssal prince. Their tops were made of a magnificent, emerald-green silk, matching the vibrant green of Syris’s snake eyes and Ren’s Kitsune eyes, and the green of Drax’s dragon eyes.

The embroidery of the dragon was rendered in gold and dark green thread.

Syris, in the emerald top and beige trousers, looked sleek, elegant, and lethal. The mandarin collar framed his long green hair. Ren looked effortlessly charming, the green silk contrasting his red hair. Drax was practically forced from behind Zarek by Torian.

The emerald traditional top, tailored precisely for his teenage dragon form, gave him a refined, powerful look. Even tiny Zale, held by Dena, wore a smaller emerald-green Tang top, tailored specifically for his tiny abyssal form. He looked entirely in his element.

Roxy inspected them. For Syris and Ren, she offered a critical assessment, adjusting a cuff on Ren’s sleeve, telling him to stand straighter. He instantly obeyed. For Drax, she bent down, ensuring the shoulders were not tight. And for Zale, she offered a rare, warm smile.

"Everyone, you may rest," Roxy nodded. "But do not leave the hall. We still have the main set to present."

A profound silence descended, heavier than before. The mates exchanged terrified glances. If Roxy was pickier about them, she was likely fanatical about the female children. Tanith, Iris, and infant Tyara.

"And now, for my masterpiece set," Roxy stated, her voice lowering into a reverent octave as she pulled the final silk cover off the largest garment rack.

The mates’ eyes practically bugged out. On the rack were three magnificent historical Empire-style gowns modified with Roxy’s precise attention to fabric and detail.

"Tanith. You are first." Roxy commanded.

Tanith, the toddler snake-shifter, shuffled forward. Roxy picked her up and carried her behind the changing screen, calling Dena over for assistance. The hall was silent, save for the collective holding of breaths.

Tanith emerged, held by Roxy, and the hall gasped. The gown itself was a magnificent historical Empire-style piece, with puff sleeves, the sheer over-cape sleeves with their silver-wired edges, and the entire dress made from rich, heavy gold brocade fabric. It was hand-painted with subtle, swirling, coiling snake motifs.

The white sash was tied high under her waist, forming a large bow at the side. She was holding a tiny, perfect gold silk drawstring purse with a tiny green ribbon and an emerald snake clasp.

Roxy bent down, adjusting the sash. "Oh my fucking god, she’s Perfect."

"And now, for my precious little flower," Roxy murmured, turning back behind the screen.

She emerged moments later with Iris. The little wolf pup’s fluffy black ears were pinned back, but her violet eyes were wide with wonder. Her Empire gown was also identical in gold brocade and structure to Tanith’s own, but hand-painted with delicate violet wolf-tracks and moon-phases.

The white sash formed a large bow. She held a perfect gold purse with a violet ribbon and an amethyst wolf-head clasp. Roxy had tailored the puff sleeves to perfection. Her gaze was soft with affection.

"And finally, for my tiny little Tigress," Roxy whispered, carefully carrying a microscopic, velvet pillow from behind the changing screen.

On the pillow, infant Tyara was fast asleep. She was wearing a perfectly tiny, gold brocade Empire-style gown, identical in miniature detail, structure, and fabric. The microscopic puff sleeves were soft as air. Roxy had tailored a tiny, matching gold bonnet, but integrated microscopic, hand-sewn blue pearl details into the lace, matching the deep blue of Tyara’s new tiger eyes.

She didn’t need a purse, but was holding a tiny, soft gold velvet tiger-head rattle that Roxy had also crafted. Tyara was completely milk-drunk and dozing, a tiny chuff sound escaping her lips.

Roxy carried the pillow as if it held the universe. She stood before the mates, looking between the magnificent females she had created.

Roxy was beaming from ear to ear, her green eyes swimming with warmth and pride.

"Mama! It’s your turn!" Onyx piped.

"You are a great designer, Mama!" Axel chirped.

"But you always make us look good!" Iris added, her amethyst beads catching the light.

And then they all, simultaneously, looked at Roxy’s own, very private changing screen in the far corner, and then back at her with the most hopeful, imploring gaze imaginable.

"Mama, you have to try on your dress, too! Please! We want to see how beautiful you will look!"