Transmigrated To A Beastworld As The Lazy Wife Of The Fox Lord-Chapter 33: Departing.

Sienna stepped forward, not to defend Elias but to end the tantrum and silence it forever. "Your son is not betraying you, he is simply doing the right thing. I know you love Ali and Elias and you have cared for them when I was unable to." She reached out and took Lady Cadelaria’s right hand into both of her hands. "I am so grateful to you for everything that you have done. I will never be able to repay that debt. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Now, I hope that you will loosen the strings a little and let me step into my natural role. You have experienced the joys of motherhood, is it fair to deny me the same?"

Lady Cadelaria pulled her hand back. The last question stirred at the strings of her heart. When she looked at her granddaughter, who was already clinging to her mother’s legs, she knew some things could not be stopped.

Maybe, if she insisted on separating mother and daughter, Ali would grow up to resent her. Anyway, this was just a temporary separation. Maybe in the divorce, Elias would get full custody.

Her eyes were glistening, but her pride would not allow her to cry. The tantrum had been humiliating enough. "Very well. But, I demand visitation rights. I will drop by every week for tea parties. Ali must spend every solstice here along with every other national beast holiday. You must not interfere with her etiquette and dance lessons."

Sienna nodded.

Lady Cadelaria fell to her knees gently and pulled Ali in for a hug. "I will visit every week, okay. I will bring you those golden feathers I have promised."

"I want a phoenix." Ali chirped.

Her grandmother nodded. Even if she asked for the moon, she would bring it for her. She embraced the little one again, tightly and then let go.

In the next hour, things were moved to a flying ship that hovered over the estate. Dozens of servants bustles about, loading trunks of little girl’s clothing, crates of roasted meats and sausages. Different types of food, and tea leaves. Some of Elias’s things were also moved, to be arranged in the bedroom he would use when he visited.

Servants and guards that were leaving bid farewell to their friends from the estate. Some even sobbed.

Eli only said goodbye to Ali. To Sienna, he said, "Bad woman, take care of my sister or else...."

Sienna hugged him forcefully none the less. Lady Cadelaria snatched him from her quickly, like she was scared that he would also be taken away. She clung to him, sobbing into his fur. "At least I have you Eli," she wailed, squeezing him so tightly his ears flattened. "My baby, you must never leave me! Promise you will stay with grandma forever."

Eli, wide-eyed, looked at his father for rescue.

Elias sighed. "Mother, you are suffocating the cub."

"I am preserving him!" Lady Cadelaria declared. "If one jewel is stolen, I must guard the other with my life!"

"Papa, help..:" Eli whispered.

Elias snatched the cub from his grandmother. "Mother, he is not a prisoner. When the day comes that he wants to spend time with his mother, I will let him go to her as well."

Lady Cadelaria gasped. "You would send him to some dreary cottage near the sea! No."

Elias did not wait to her more of her protests. He walked onto the ship, joining Sienna near the railing. She turned her eyes to him, and took a deep breath. "Well, this is goodbye, I guess." She softened her voice, "It is for the best, you know."

Elias nodded. "I know. I am a practical man, and I know that if you remain here, you will just grow to resent me and my family. Sometimes, a new beginning somewhere else can make one see things in a different light. But I will come by in two days. I want to see your new home. To make sure....everything is suitable."

Sienna’s lips curved into a smile. "As expected of you. Come by at any time." How else was she supposed to work on her missions?

She had already figured out that it would be easier when they were alone compared to when they were on the grounds of this estate, surrounded by his family. Sienna was sure that there were more commands coming that Elias would not be able to do unless they had privacy. If the system told her to command him to ’roll,’ for example.

They both glanced toward Lady Cadelaria, who was now directing servants to build a marble statue for Ali in the courtyard!

Sienna chuckled. "Your mother is relentless."

Elias groaned. "You have no idea. I need to go and stop her."

She nodded. "Good luck to you."

"Safe travels," he said, with one nod of his head. He found Ali, kissed her on the cheek and told her to behave and not over eat. Then, with Eli securely in his arms, he left the ship.

As soon as he left, the engines hummed, lifting it higher into the sky. Ali waved enthusiastically from the deck. "Bye Grand mama! Bye Papa! Bye Grand papa! Bye Aunt Cyra! Bye....." She went on and on, mentioning her relatives, her friends, the servants.

Lady Cadelaria collapsed onto the steps, wailing as if she was in mourning. "My baby. My precious jewel! My treasure!" She snatched Wli and buried her nose in his hair.

"I think mother should have another child," Cyra whispered to her father. "Sienna was right. What will she do when Eli leaves eventually? We both know that the day is coming. It is only a matter of time until it happens."

Lord Marius thought about what his daughter was proposing. He shuddered when he thought back on the days spent raising their children. There had been good and bad days. He missed them, and at the same time, he didn’t.

Rather than suffer through another eighteen years, he preferred a simpler solution. He would buy a cottage within walking distance of Sienna’s home and take his wife on a long vacation.

Anyway, his own parents were on vacation as well because all their children were grown up. They had been traveling around the Beast continent for six years now.

The other solution was for another of his children to marry and give him and his wife more grandchildren. He turned his head, eyes shimmering with a new scheme he would whisper into his wife’s ears tonight.

Meanwhile, Elias watched the ship until it vanished beyond the horizon, his chest heavy with both relief and sorrow.