Transmigrated To A Beastworld As The Lazy Wife Of The Fox Lord-Chapter 38: A bastard.

When Elias finally arrived, Ali was reciting the rules in case she got lost, in front of the drone camera.

"Stand still and stay put so that your mama and papa can find you where you were separated.

Ask for help from a human or beast woman with children.

Memorize your mama and papa’s phone number everyday.

If you see a law enforcement officer you can ask for help.

If the help center is close, you can go there and ask for help.

If you have an emergency whistle or button, blow it or push it."

Elias stopped and watched his daughter repeating the rules again, rhyming them like a song she had learned in her sleep.

Behind him, Timothy said, "The lady is actually wiser than we all thought. Around eighty cubs go missing a year in this city alone. All over the continent, the number climbs to thousands. It would not hurt cubs and their parents to learn these rules instead of panicking and running around blindly."

Elias replied, "Have them printed and put on large advertising holograms all over the city. I will request the beast king to have them spread all over the continent."

As soon as Sienna and Ali ended the livestream, he stepped out of the shadows. Still, he waited for the servants to set up a seating area and then he finally showed up, appearing like a bad rain cloud on sunny day that made everyone want to run indoors and hide.

All the servants stood and bowed. Only Sienna remained sitting.

"Papa," Ali ran up to hug him.

Elias hugged the little one. "Have you been good?"

"Very good." Ali replied, nodding vigorously. "I picked shells, pulled the case, picked flowers...."

While she was chattering, Sienna gestured for the servants to move her share of the food to the porch, along with Elias’s. She had not been expecting him, but she had prepared enough food for those who would desire extra portions.

Moments later, Ali was sitting between Soren and Kroton, tearing into a beef kebab with the ferocity of a starving cub. Sienna on the other hand was eating gently, taking her time to chew.

Her eyes were focused more on the movie that was showing via hologram. All the servants and guards were gathered near the cooking area, watching it with smiles as they ate.

"Where is the wolf pup?" Elias asked her, while putting down his sixth beef kebab and picking up a seventh. His plate was stacked with twenty more that he intended to devour.

Sienna wiped her lips. "What pup?" The only cub or pup or child on the grounds was Ali. Soren and Kroton were teenagers, technically pups as well but she did not think they were the ones he was asking about. Her brother was a bird beast man, so he could not be referred to as a pup.

"The one that had his paws all over you." He enlightened her in a voice that had a hint of acid beneath.

He was not pleased. She had a clear idea of the who the pup he was talking about was. "Are you referring to Geo?"

"So that’s his name." Elias said, like he was bored.

Sienna chortled. "Really! Are you going to pretend that you don’t know his name? Elias, you probably investigated all the people that live in every cottage around here before I moved in. I think you even know Geo’s full name, while I don’t. Maybe even his life story."

Elias swallowed the tasty meat, but his mind did not register the taste much. "Why did he carry you? I gave you servants and guards."

"He is my employee not yours." She butted in. "And there was nothing special about it. He just helped me up the stairs because I was tired. I have never done anything to break my vows to you and I will not do so until we divorce." She turned her head to him. "You on the other hand are a puzzle. Why are you here?" Her eyes flicked to Ali. "I am not going to slip back into my old ways as a neglectful mother, if that is what you are worried about."

He did not respond immediately. It was on the tip of his tongue to deny that he was worried about her being alone with Ali for the first time. But ultimately, it was part of the truth.

The sea whispered against the rocks, its rhythm steady, indifferent to the turmoil on the porch. One of the servants moved quietly to where they were, and topped up the wine in their glasses. The sound of Ali’s childish laughter mingled with the voices of the teenagers and rising burst of laughter from the servants.

Timothy’s selection was a comedy. The film was absurd, childish pranks, exaggerated faces of beast men and women in a forest and a chorus of ridiculous mishaps. But somehow, the joy in the comedy was gone for the moment and Sienna could not enjoy it.

"Are you looking for a reason to get full custody." She put down the fork and looked at him warily. She picked up the stem of the wine glass before her, filled with contents that she did not plan to drink.

Elias replied in a rigid voice, "If that was the plan, I would not have allowed Ali to come with you in the first place. I am not such a bastard Sienna."

"Eh!" She said skeptically.

He laughed. "Fine, I am a bastard."

Her jaw almost dropped. "You can laugh!"

"Of course I can laugh." He raised his brows. "I just prefer to laugh at the right moment, for the right reasons."

Sienna shook her head. "That has got to be the saddest thing I have ever had. If you have to control your laughter and joy, then you must live a controlled life like a robot. Even the beast king and queen laugh out loud. You have no reason to be stiffer than them. I am sure the burden they carry is bigger than yours. You are the lord of one fox tribe and they rule over the whole continent." She leaned closer to him, smiling impishly. "What do you say, should I teach you how to laugh the proper way?"