Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 147: The Duchess of Vipers

The Main Hall of the Jade Palace was a masterpiece of botanical malice.

The walls were lined with trellises of climbing vines. The flowers were breathtaking—vibrant purples, deep crimsons, and neon blues. But Primrose knew her plants. That was Wolfsbane. That was Nightshade. That was Blood-Orchid.

To touch the walls was to die.

"Keep your hands inside your sleeves," Cassian murmured to the group. "And do not bow too low. We are guests, not servants. If you show your neck, they will bite it."

Jasper adjusted his silk sash, looking terrified but determined. Orion looked unimpressed, scanning the architecture. Caspian looked bored, while Luna was shaking like a leaf.

At the far end of the hall, seated on a throne of carved serpentine jade, sat Duchess Venetia.

She was the Head of House Viper. She wore emerald robes embroidered with real gold thread in the shape of coiling snakes.

As they approached, Venetia stood. She glided down the stairs.

"Cousin," Venetia purred.

She stepped forward and embraced Cassian. It wasn’t a hug; it was a constriction. She squeezed him tight enough to bruise ribs.

"You look... rustic," Venetia whispered in his ear, pulling back to inspect his simple travel robes. "Is that dust on your hem?"

"It’s the dust of freedom, Venetia," Cassian replied smoothly, stepping out of her reach. "You should try it sometime. It clears the sinuses."

Venetia’s smile tightened. Then, her eyes slid to Caspian.

Her expression instantly changed to one of practiced reverence. She bowed—perfectly, elegantly.

"Your Majesty," Venetia said. "The King of the Deep Sea graces our humble valley. We are honored."

"The honor is yours," Caspian said, looking at his fingernails.

Then, Venetia looked at Primrose.

She didn’t bow. She didn’t speak. She looked at Primrose the way a chef looks at a sack of flour. An ingredient. Nothing more.

She’s ignoring me, Primrose realized, feeling a spark of heat in her chest. She doesn’t see a person. She sees a tool.

"The adults have boring matters to discuss," Venetia announced, clapping her hands. "Servants, take the children to the serenity garden. My daughter, Lady Mei, is eager to meet her... distant relatives."

The garden was beautiful, but dead. The gravel was raked into perfect swirls. The bonsai trees were trimmed within an inch of their lives.

Sitting on a stone bench in the center was a small girl.

She was about five years old. She wore layers of heavy, emerald silk that looked like they weighed more than she did. Her hair was pulled back so tight it looked painful.

She sat perfectly still. She didn’t blink.

Jasper and Orion walked up to her.

Jasper bowed politely. "Hello. I am Jasper. I am five and a half."

Lady Mei looked at him. She scanned him from head to toe.

"Your breathing is irregular," Mei stated. Her voice was high, but devoid of any childish warmth. "And your sash is tied with a single knot, not a double-blind knot. Are you a savage?"

Jasper blinked. He looked down at his sash. "My brother tied it. It is for comfort."

"Comfort is the enemy of discipline," Mei recited. She looked at Orion. "Why do you squint?"

"I am analyzing the light refraction on the pond," Orion explained. "Also, the sun is bright."

"We do not squint," Mei said. "We observe."

Orion frowned. He leaned over to Jasper.

"I do not like her," Orion whispered loudly. "She is boring. Astrid throws rocks at me and calls me a nerd. That is much more stimulating."

Jasper felt a strange pang in his chest. He looked at Mei—so stiff, so perfect, so unhappy.

That would have been me, Jasper realized. If Cassian hadn’t taken me. I would be a doll just like her.

"Do you want to play?" Jasper asked, pulling a rubber ball from his pocket.

Mei looked at the ball. She didn’t reach for it.

"Is it a weapon?" she asked.

"No," Jasper smiled gently. "It bounces. Look."

He dropped it. It bounced.

Mei watched the physics of it. "The elasticity is inefficient," she critiqued. "It lacks purpose."

"The purpose is fun," Jasper countered, channeling his inner Cassian. "But I suppose fun is an advanced concept. Perhaps you aren’t ready for it."

Mei’s eye twitched. "I am ready for all concepts."

"Prove it," Jasper challenged, rolling the ball to her feet.

Inside the main hall, Venetia poured tea.

"So," Venetia said, sliding a cup toward Caspian (and ignoring Primrose completely). "To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure? Surely you didn’t travel all this way just to see family."

"We heard about the Ascension Ceremony," Cassian lied smoothly, taking his tea. "I thought it was time for Jasper to see his heritage. And my friends... they enjoy exotic festivals."

"How charming," Venetia smiled. She didn’t believe him for a second. "And here I thought you came for the courier. I heard you met him in the market."

"The courier?" Cassian raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "Ah, the Fox. He seemed... diligent. A fine soldier."

"He is," Venetia agreed. "He is one of our best. He never questions orders. He never hesitates. He is... perfect."

She took a sip of her tea, her eyes locking onto Primrose.

"It is amazing what one can achieve when one removes distractions," Venetia murmured. "Like fear. Or love."

Primrose’s hand drifted to her waist, ready to summon fire.

But Caspian moved first.

He picked up his tea. He took a long, slow sip. As the liquid touched his lips, the faint green tint of poison in the cup turned clear.

"This is a lovely blend," Caspian said pleasantly. "But let me be clear, Duchess."

He set the cup down. The liquid inside began to vibrate.

"I am the King of the Ocean. I control the tides. I am enjoying your hospitality... for now. But if any accidents befall my friends... I will pull the moisture from the air, from the plants, and from your very blood. I will drown this entire valley until it is nothing but a lake."

He smiled, showing all his shark-like teeth.

"I am not a guest, Venetia. I am a natural disaster. Do not test me."

Venetia’s smile faltered for the first time.

While the tension in the hall spiked, Luna was on a mission.

She had slipped away from the garden while the boys were battling Mei. She ran through the corridors, her heart pounding.

She found him at the East Gate.

Jax stood there, guarding the entrance to the inner sanctum. He stood rigid, his spear held perfectly vertical.

"Jax!" Luna cried.

She ran to him. She grabbed his free hand. His skin was warm, but he didn’t squeeze back.

"Please," Luna whispered, tears spilling over. "It’s me. Luna. Look at me."

Jax looked down. His green eyes were empty.

"Madam," Jax said, pulling his hand away with mild annoyance. "You are hysterical. Please return to the guest quarters."

"I’m not hysterical!" Luna sobbed. "I’m in love with you! We sat on the roof! You ate my stew! You told me... you told me I was your home!"

Jax sighed. "I have never eaten stew. It is heavy and slows the reflexes."

Luna stepped back, wiping her face. She had to break through. She had to use the one thing that mattered to him more than anything.

"What about Finn?" Luna demanded.

Jax paused. "Who?"

"Finn!" Luna shouted. "Your little brother! The sick one! You work so hard to send him money! You cried on my shoulder because you missed him! You told me everything about him!"

Jax frowned. It wasn’t a look of remembering. It was a look of genuine confusion.

"Finn?" Jax repeated. "I have no brother."

"Stop lying!" Luna screamed.

"I do not lie," Jax stated calmly. "My personnel file is clear. I ran away from the fox village and was raised in the Orphanage of the Coil. I have been a solo operative since I was twelve. I have no siblings. I have no family."

He looked at her with a chilling lack of empathy.

"I am a Lone Fox. I always have been."

Luna froze. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.

The story of Finn. The sick brother. The tragic backstory that made Primrose hire him. The vulnerability that made Luna fall in love with him. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

It wasn’t forgotten.

It wasn’t erased.

It was a lie.

The man she loved—the man who cared about his brother, who laughed at bad jokes, who loved spicy stew—didn’t exist.

"You..." Luna whispered, backing away. "You aren’t him."

"I am Jax," the courier stated. "If you are referring to the operative who infiltrated your capital... I assume he played his role well."

Luna ran.

She ran blindly back to the garden, grabbed the boys, and sprinted into the Main Hall.

She burst in, pale and shaking.

"Prim!" Luna screamed.

Primrose jumped up. "Luna? What happened?"

"It’s a lie," Luna gasped, collapsing into Primrose’s arms. "Finn doesn’t exist. Jax doesn’t have a brother. He never did."

Primrose went cold. "What?" She recalled when the Fox elder said he knows nothing about a boy named Finn as Jax younger brother. It makes sense now.

"The story," Luna sobbed. "The kidnapped brother. He used it to make us trust him. To make you hire him."

Cassian stood up slowly. "The Boss created a persona perfectly tailored to manipulate a lonely Rabbit."

"He played us," Primrose whispered, horror dawning on her. "He was never our friend. He was a spy from day one."

RUMBLE.

Suddenly, the floor of the palace shook. The tea cups rattled on the table.

A beam of blinding green light shot up from the mountain behind the palace—from the Forbidden Sanctuary.

The air pressure dropped. The smell of ozone and ancient, rotting magic filled the room.

Duchess Venetia stood up. She didn’t look scared. She looked triumphant.

"Ah," Venetia smiled, spreading her arms. "Perfect timing."

She looked at the beam of light that was piercing the clouds.

"It seems the guest of honor is awake," Venetia announced. "The Ascension begins now."