Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 101: Mistress of the Queen’s Courtyard (I)

"Understood, Mistress."

All the maids left the room in an orderly manner, leaving only the head maid, Diane, behind. She remained with her head bowed politely, just as before.

From the way she conducted herself, Sisi could tell that Diane was a veteran in this field. Perhaps she had once served as a head maid within her raccoon tribe.

Sisi also knew that the position of head maid carried considerable power. They could accumulate their own wealth, either through their master’s generosity or their salary alone.

Sisi remembered the Matriarch in the orphanage.

Yes, the Matriarch had once told her that she used to be the head of the palace maids until the late queen died during labor.

She had been heartbroken. After all, she had served the late queen since she was a child. When her mistress—and closest friend—passed away, the Matriarch lost all meaning in life and chose to resign from her position despite the late king’s request for her to stay.

Still, the late king had been generous, granting her a plot of land and a sum of money to start a business or raise a family. Yet the Matriarch chose to open an orphanage instead. She herself had been an orphan who lived a harsh life before her late mistress took her in.

Sisi had been deeply inspired by the Matriarch’s story. She might not have been a noble by birth, but she possessed a noble heart.

Sisi wasn’t sure whether Diane shared that same noble heart, but the Matriarch’s stories had taught her one important truth—

Palace maids were the greatest source of information for nobles and aristocrats. They overheard conversations without arousing suspicion, listened in silence, and were expected to keep secrets.

But were secrets ever truly kept in a palace?

The Matriarch had once told her:

The walls of the royal palace may be thick from the outside, but to those who live within them, they’re as thin as paper. Whispers always spread, even a drop of a coin can alert the entire palace.

"What do you need me for, Mistress?" Diane asked.

"I want to ask a few things, and please don’t call me Mistress. The Beast King only offered me this place because it was empty," Sisi said. "You can call me Sisi."

"That... I cannot do, Mistress," Diane replied. "Our King has specifically instructed us that you are the Mistress of the Queen’s Courtyard and must be treated with respect. I dare not overstep my boundaries."

Diane’s professionalism left Sisi with no room to argue.

Since friendliness wouldn’t work against this shrewd raccoon, Sisi decided to be direct.

"I kept you here because I want answers," Sisi said calmly. "I’m sure you already know about the incident at the banquet."

"Yes, Mistress. I was present as well," Diane admitted.

"Really?" Sisi raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn’t anyone tell her to dress properly before the Beast King arrived? That banquet was meant to celebrate the Little Prince’s safe return. He’s not even five years old. Displaying something like that in front of a child is considered highly inappropriate in human civilization."

"At first, I thought it was simply different customs between humans and beastmen," Sisi continued. "But judging by the Beast King’s reaction, I know now that it wasn’t appropriate here either. You’re the head maid, why didn’t you intervene?"

"I—" Diane froze, clearly unprepared for such a sharp interrogation.

She had assumed her new mistress would be soft-hearted, perhaps more interested in comfort and luxury than palace affairs.

But appearances could be deceiving.

Mistress Sisi looked gentle and timid, like a delicate flower that would shrink when touched. Yet beneath that softness were thorns, sharp and dangerous, at least from Diane’s perspective.

’No wonder she caught the King’s attention,’ Diane thought. ’I must stay on her good side.’

"I’m waiting for an answer," Sisi said when Diane remained silent.

Diane cleared her throat. "Pardon me, Mistress. I was unsure how to explain. Yes, I did not stop Concubine Ruela from entering the banquet dressed so provocatively. At the time, we truly believed the King wouldn’t mind."

"Why wouldn’t he?" Sisi frowned. "It was a banquet for his son."

"We... believed the Beast King would be exhausted and in need of relief after a long trip to the south," Diane replied hesitantly. "And Concubine Ruela was prepared to offer that relief. Mistress, she is the first concubine the King accepted after establishing the Beast Kingdom. Everyone in the palace believed she would become the new queen—the one to bear future princes and princesses."

Sisi finally understood the reasoning behind the palace’s silence.

Because Ruela was Kael’s first concubine, everyone assumed she was heavily favored and destined to become the next Beast Queen after she mothered a few cubs for Kael.

And who would dare question the future queen?

A single complaint from the concubine might lead to punishment... or worse—dismissal.

"I deeply regret my oversight, Mistress," Diane said quickly. "Had I known the King would react so angrily, I would have insisted she change immediately. The Beast King has yet to punish us, perhaps because the Little Prince is now safe and in good spirits."

"Naturally," Sisi agreed without hesitation. Jojo was always her top priority. She wanted everyone in the palace to understand that Jojo wasn’t a child they could neglect simply because he lacked a mother.

"Your King has made countless sacrifices for his son," Sisi said coldly. "Do you truly believe a mere concubine could steal all his favor just because she’s young and beautiful?"

She sneered.

Perhaps it was her terrible first impression of Ruela, but Sisi couldn’t hide her disdain.

If Ruela had even an ounce of decency, she wouldn’t have attempted to seduce the Beast King at a public banquet meant for his child.

To Sisi, it proved that Ruela either had no conscience, or no sympathy at all for Jojo. Not even a shred.

So, why should she offer a sympathy for someone who had none for Jojo?