Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 95: Royal Banquet (III)

Vestor knew that he would face heavy punishment once he stood before the Beast King in the throne room.

The severity of that punishment could vary, but death was not the worst outcome.

Because death was not the end of a beastman’s life.

If the Beast King chose to spare him yet dismiss him from his position as royal advisor, Vestor would be disgraced. Once he returned to the owl tribe, his family would learn that their most respected and wisest leader had committed an unforgivable mistake that made him lost his favor in the Beast Kingdom’s court.

To preserve his honor, he would be expected to kill himself.

Even then, it would only save his dignity, but his family would still suffer because of him.

They would be ostracized, branded as a disgrace—just like Ruela’s family had been after Jor, the previous Alpha of the Silvertooth Pack was slain in battle by Kael.

’Ruela...’

Vestor gritted his teeth as he recalled the concubine and her disgraceful act in the royal banquet just now. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He felt it wasn’t entirely his fault.

All he had done was advise Ruela to dress her best and present herself properly before the Beast King. He had assumed the king, having traveled for so long, might be sexually frustrated and seeking relief, and it was her duty as the concubine to make the king happy.

But he never expected Ruela to arrive dressed like a prostitute at a banquet meant to celebrate the little prince’s safe return.

It was like hiring a nude dancer to dance in front of a toddler.

Worse, she had swayed her hips erotically, leaning forward shamelessly, hoping the Beast King would notice her cleavage and what lay beneath that thin excuse for a dress.

It was utterly disgraceful. It made Vestor wonder if he had made a huge mistake by advising the Beast King to take on a concubine before.

Besides, even if the Beast King had been in the mood, he would never mate in the middle of a formal banquet. That was simply outrageous!

Vestor was furious. Yet more than that, he was terrified.

Around him, the high-ranked beastmen dispersed in hushed whispers, replaying the entire scene: the concubine’s humiliation, the little prince feeding his father.

And at the center of it all, the mysterious woman who claimed to be the little prince’s caretaker.

She was clearly human, yet she didn’t carry the scent of one.

There was a theory around everyone present in the royal banquet, that she had lived in Roc Forest for a long time, perhaps among a small, isolated human tribe, unaware of broader human customs.

Her devastating beauty only fueled that speculation, because she would be taken as a human king’s wife had he seen her beauty once.

But that also raised a question in the Beast Kingdom’s court.

Would she become the second concubine?

Or something more?

As the whispers grew louder, Vestor stood still in place, unable to recover after the Beast King called him out in front of everyone.

Most of the nobles distanced themselves from Vestor, convinced his fate was sealed.

But Grishaw approached him instead and placed a steady hand on his shoulder.

"It’s alright, Vestor," Grishaw said. "Our King isn’t so cruel as to dismiss you outright."

He paused, recalling his own failure to guard the tiger captive.

"I failed him badly during the journey too. Yet he neither killed nor dismissed me. He’s not that cruel... at least not when the little prince is involved."

Hope flickered in Vestor’s eyes.

"Then you must tell me," he said urgently. "Who is that woman? I know I made a mistake in allowing the concubine to appear dressed so provocatively, but I don’t understand her. Is she really the Little Prince’s caretaker?"

"Her name is Sisi," Grishaw replied. "When we found the Little Prince, she was carrying him."

Vestor stiffened. "So... he was kidnapped?"

"Not at all," Grishaw shook his head. "I believe she saved him after he was separated from the King. The prince refuses to part with her. He sides with her more often than with his own father."

He lowered his voice.

"Their bond resembles that of mother and son."

"M-mother and son..." Vestor whispered. "Does that mean she will become our queen? Her beauty is unparalleled—surely the Beast King would marry her instead."

Grishaw snorted. "No. She’s dangerous. Our King is wary of her."

Then he leaned in and whispered, "But as long as the little prince is attached to her, she cannot be killed, no matter how many times she angers him."

Grishaw hesitated, then added quietly, "She’s a powerful witch who can control plants. Don’t repeat this unless the Beast King, or Sisi herself, makes it public."

Vestor’s expression shifted rapidly: shock, confusion, calculation.

Then he composed himself.

"And one more thing," Grishaw warned. "Do not try to push Ruela toward our King again. If Sisi’s beauty couldn’t sway him, Ruela never stood a chance, especially now that the Little Prince has seen everything."

Vestor hesitated. "Is it truly impossible for our King to sire another heir? Wouldn’t it secure the kingdom’s future?"

Grishaw stared at him in horror.

"Never say that before the King," he said sharply. "You wouldn’t just lose your head—you’d be dismissed and forced to take your own life to preserve your honor."

That alone answered Vestor’s question.

For now, the little prince was the only heir, and there would be no compromise.

"As his advisor, I was merely considering the kingdom’s stability," Vestor muttered. "But His Majesty has never been one to listen."

"Indeed," Grishaw agreed. "He does as he wills, because none can oppose him."

Grishaw straightened.

"Go to the throne room, Vestor. As long as you avoid egregious words, you’ll keep both your life and your position."

He paused, then added firmly, "I repeat, do not mention concubines, and do not mention heirs. I believe this kingdom exists for the little prince."

Vestor nodded slowly.

"So our duty is to ensure his safety and his ascension, right?"

"Correct," Grishaw patted Vestor’s shoulder again. "Now go. Don’t keep the King waiting."