Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 331: Episode 329: Worried for Ren

The Iron-Wood Manor had hosted its fair share of grand, continent-shifting events, but the celebration marking the arrival of Princess Tyara completely shattered every previous record.

When the triplets were born, the Beastworld wasn’t as advanced as now. But now, the continent was stable, thriving, and fiercely loyal to the Matriarch who had saved their world.

Every single predatory tribe, from the deepest, frost-bitten northern peaks to the sun-drenched eastern plains, answered the royal summons.

The sprawling front courtyard and the massive great hall were overflowing with a vibrant, chaotic sea of shifting beasts, foreign dignitaries, and hardened warlords.

The sky above the Manor was painted with the massive, leathery wings of dragon emissaries, while the ground literally vibrated under the paws of hundreds of visiting wolf, tiger, and bear clans.

The sheer scale of the assembly dwarfed the triplets’ naming ceremony by a monumental margin.

At the absolute epicenter of the glorious chaos stood Roxy.

She wore the breathtaking, cascading white chiffon gown with the heavy, segmented gold belt that perfectly accentuated her curves. Resting flawlessly amidst her dark curls was the spectacular, heavy gold tiger-king crown Torian had given for her.

She radiated an ethereal, untouchable matriarchal authority that instantly commanded the respect of every predator in the room.

A collective gasp rippled through the grand hall the moment she descended the staircase. The Beastworld was in awe of her all over again.

However, expressing that awe proved to be a highly dangerous endeavor for any male in attendance.

Roxy’s mate had formed an impenetrable aggressive perimeter around their Queen. Torian’s chest was puffed out, his blue eyes narrowed into slits as a low, continuous rumble vibrated in his throat.

As he held Tyara in his arms, he didn’t even realize his daughter just staring at him.

Zarek stood with his arms crossed over his golden Tang top, glaring at any male beast that so much as glanced at Roxy’s neckline. Kaelen and Syris flanked her sides with cold, calculated lethality, while Caspian stood close to her back, his mortal gaze just as fiercely possessive as the immortals’.

Not a single male outside of the Iron-Wood pack was permitted within a ten-foot radius of the Queen.

A foolish, overly eager rogue panther had attempted to step forward to offer a compliment on her radiance, only for Torian to face him, and only one cold look sent the beast scrambling backward into the buffet tables.

Because the Alpha Kings had effectively placed a blockade around her, it was the ladies of the Beastworld who completely monopolized Roxy’s time.

The fierce, battle-hardened Matriarchs were the only ones entirely immune to the territorial brooding. They casually pushed past Zarek’s arm and ignored Torian’s grumbling entirely, forming their own tight circle around the Queen.

"Oh, push your fangs away, Torian, you overgrown housecat," Mara, the high-ranking female of the Wolf Pack, scoffed, waving a dismissive hand at the White Tiger before turning her eyes to Roxy.

Torian was tongue tied, when did they start disregarding him?

He looked at Zarek and the latter scoffed.

Lyra of the Dragon Peaks laughed, joining them was Sera, one of the beautiful female wolfs.

"Look at this absolute masterpiece," Lyra praised, reaching out to gently touch the intricate gold embroidery on Roxy’s flowing chiffon sleeve. "Your mates are terrifyingly unbearable tonight, Roxy, but we can hardly blame them. You look magnificent."

"Magnificent is an understatement," Sera chimed in, leaning closer with a wicked, teasing grin. She crossed her arms, her eyes sweeping over Roxy’s perfectly tailored bodice. "I don’t know what kind of magic is in the Iron-Wood water, my Queen, but you are getting sexier and sexier with every cub you bring into this world. It is frankly unfair to the rest of us."

Mara barked out a laugh, taking a long, generous swing from her heavy wooden goblet of fermented berry wine. "She speaks the absolute truth! You are standing here looking like a literal goddess of fertility. Motherhood looks entirely too good on you, Roxy."

Roxy felt a bright, genuine flush creep up her cheeks. Surrounded by the towering, terrifying testosterone of her mates on a daily basis, she deeply cherished the raw, unfiltered camaraderie of the female shifters.

"You are all far too kind," Roxy smiled, her green eyes crinkling at the corners. "And I would gladly trade this crown for a single, uninterrupted night of sleep. Or better yet... a drink."

Roxy cast a deeply mournful, highly envious look at the goblet of rich, spiced blackberry wine sloshing in Mara’s hand. The intoxicating, sweet aroma of fermented fruit and mountain spices filled the air, practically taunting her.

"Thirsty, my Queen?" Kaelen’s smooth, deep voice rumbled from just over her right shoulder.

The Wolf Alpha reached out, his cuffed, sapphire-blue sleeve shifting as he handed her a beautifully carved crystal goblet. Roxy took it eagerly, bringing it to her lips for a heavy sip.

Her shoulders instantly slumped. It was pure, ice-cold spring water infused with a hint of crushed mint.

"Kaelen," Roxy groaned, lowering the glass and leveling a flat, deeply unimpressed glare at the Wolf King. "It is a party. A monumental celebration. Can I not have just half a cup of the spiced wine?"

Kaelen offered a soft, deeply apologetic, but utterly unyielding smile. "You are feeding a fiercely demanding White Tiger cub whose metabolism operates like a blast furnace, my Queen. The alcohol would bleed into your milk, and an intoxicated, hyperactive feline infant with Alpha genetics is a disaster the Manor is not structurally prepared to survive. Water for the Matriarch."

Sera and Lyra burst into a chorus of highly amused laughter at Roxy’s expense.

"The devastating, heartbreaking sacrifices of a ruler," Lyra teased, raising her own goblet of wine in a mocking, deeply affectionate toast.

Roxy sighed heavily, resigning herself to her sober fate, though a fond smile remained on her lips. She took another sip of her mint water, her violet eyes naturally sweeping over the sprawling, chaotic expanse of the great hall.

Zarek was currently engaged in a heated argument with malcor about flight path regulations. Torian was glaring daggers at a group of tiger emissaries from the eastern plains.

Syris was elegantly discussing the cultivation of rare winter herbs with an owl-shifter, and Caspian was quietly, respectfully answering questions from a delegation of coastal wolves who were fascinated by his mortal transition.

Roxy’s brow furrowed slightly. The magical, shimmering light provided by the Kitsune was still casting a beautiful, pearlescent glow over the ceiling, but the caster himself was nowhere to be found.

Ren was missing.

It was highly unusual. The Fox King thrived on attention, aesthetic grandstanding, and the chaotic energy of large crowds. He usually spent these celebrations effortlessly charming the dignitaries, and making sure everyone knew exactly how incredibly wealthy and powerful the Iron-Wood had become.

But the vibrant flash of his red hair and the brilliant emerald green of his tailored Tang top were completely absent from the bustling crowd.

"Excuse me for a moment, ladies," Roxy murmured, handing her crystal goblet of water back to a mildly surprised Kaelen.

Before her mates could fully register that their mother was leaving, Roxy seamlessly slipped through a small gap between Torian and Syris.

She practically glided across the polished floorboards, her white chiffon over-cape trailing beautifully behind her, and slipped into the quieter, dimly lit hallway leading to the grand staircase.

She didn’t need to search the sprawling gardens or the apothecary. She knew exactly where the Fox King retreated when he needed some time alone.

Roxy quietly ascended the stairs, the heavy, thumping bass of the celebration drums fading into a low, rhythmic vibration beneath her bare feet.

The second floor was entirely peaceful. The heavy oak door to the royal nursery was cracked slightly ajar.

Roxy pushed the door open, her footsteps completely silent on the woven rugs.

The nursery was bathed in the cool, silvery light of the full moon filtering through the massive arched window. The room was empty since the children were in the gardens playing with the other children that came.

Torian was with Tyara, and Zale was with Caspian with the coastal wolves.

And sitting on the wide, cushioned ledge of the arched window was Ren.

The Fox King had one long leg pulled up to his chest, his arm resting casually on his knee. The top three frog-buttons of his immaculate emerald-green Tang top had been unfastened, exposing the smooth, pale skin of his collarbone.

His usually vibrant, wildly animated bushy red tails were completely still, draped heavily over the edge of the window seat.

He was simply staring out the glass, his vibrant green eyes locked onto the massive, glowing sphere of the moon, looking incredibly ethereal, quiet, and strangely melancholic.

Roxy stood in the doorway for a long moment, her heart softening at the rare, vulnerable sight of the continent’s greatest trickster entirely at rest.

She stepped fully into the room, the soft rustle of her chiffon dress breaking the heavy silence.

"Why are you not outside, baby?"