Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 235: Episode 234: I want Food!

Roxy felt uncomfortable.

She sat on a submerged ledge of smooth, ancient stone, her back turned to the open cavern, while Queen Nerissa scrubbed her shoulders with a rough sponge.

And it Intensely, agonizingly uncomfortable.

It would have been one thing if Nerissa were simply washing her. A mother-in-law helping a new mother. That happened. It was a bonding ritual.

But Nerissa had just accused her of carrying "the scent of a lie." She had looked at Roxy with eyes that seemed to peel back the layers of her soul and read the "Exit Strategy" written on her bones.

And now? Silence.

Nerissa didn’t ask what the lie was. She didn’t ask about the Surface. She simply scrubbed, her massive, clawed hands surprisingly gentle as she washed away the lingering traces of birth-blood and amniotic fluid.

"Mother," Roxy ventured, her voice echoing too loudly in the damp cave. "About what you said..."

"Hush," Nerissa commanded softly. She poured a pitcher of glowing teal water over Roxy’s hair. "The ritual requires silence. Words foul the water."

Roxy clamped her mouth shut. She’s doing it on purpose, Roxy thought, staring at the ripples in the pool. She’s letting me stew. She knows I’m terrified, and she’s enjoying the power play.

The cleansing took an hour. By the time it was over, Roxy’s skin felt raw and stripped, but surprisingly light. The heavy, dragging exhaustion of the labor had been washed away by the magical properties of the pool.

Nerissa stepped back, dropping the sponge. She surveyed Roxy with a critical, unreadable eye.

"Clean," Nerissa declared. "The stagnation is gone. You are ready to be seen."

She clapped her hands. The echo summoned the servants who had been waiting in the tunnel. They swam in, carrying bundles of fabric.

"Dress her," Nerissa ordered. "Use the Imperial Silk. And fetch the Crown of Tides. In three days, the currents will gather. We will hold the Grand Reception to welcome the Prince."

"A party?" Roxy blinked, shivering as a servant draped a heavy, warm robe over her shoulders. "So soon?"

"The Spires need to see the Heir," Nerissa said, turning to leave. "He is of royalty and so he should be introduced as one. Don’t you agree?"

Roxy pressed her lips into a thin line and then shrugged.

As long as they are not hurting my baby, I have no problem with that.

She paused at the exit, her silhouette dark against the tunnel light as if waiting for Roxy to reply, and Roxy immediately did, remembering that this was a predator who could eat her.

"Thank you, Mother," Roxy said, the words automatic.

Nerissa looked back. Her expression wasn’t kind, but it wasn’t cruel either. It was the look of a mountain watching a storm pass.

"Do not thank me for doing my duty," Nerissa said cryptically. "Be grateful for the silence, Little Pearl. Sometimes, what is not said is the greatest gift of all."

With a swirl of her tentacles, the Matriarch vanished into the dark.

Roxy let out a breath she had been holding for sixty minutes. Be grateful for the silence. It was a warning and a reprieve wrapped in one. Nerissa knew, but she wasn’t going to stop her. Or maybe she was waiting for Roxy to trip up.

Or at least try, Roxy had no idea what her intentions were.

"Your Majesty?" a servant whispered, holding up a gown of deep indigo. "Shall we escort you to the Pearl Wing to rest?"

Roxy shook her head. The adrenaline of the birth and the strange energy of the cave had chased away her sleep.

"No," Roxy said, tightening her robe. "Take me to the Nursery."

Once she stepped int the Royal Nursery, she noticed how quiet it was.

Too quiet.

Roxy swam through the coral archway, her heart doing a nervous flutter in her chest. She expected crying. She expected the chaotic wails of a newborn adjusting to a world of water and pressure.

Instead, the room was filled only with the soft, melodic chiming of the Whalesong Nerissa had insisted on.

Roxy approached the central crib, a massive, pearl-encrusted shell lined with the purple moss she had chosen.

Zale was awake.

He was floating in the center of the crib, tethered gently by a silk anchor so he wouldn’t float away. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t fussing.

He was watching the crystals spin above him with intense focus.

When Roxy’s shadow fell over the crib, Zale’s head turned. He saw her.

His serious little face transformed. His gums flashed in a wide, lopsided grin, and his tiny legs kicked against the water, propelling him upward a few inches.

Roxy’s heart melted into a puddle on the floor.

"Hi," she whispered, reaching in to stroke his soft cheek. "Hi, my little sea prince."

He grabbed her finger, cooing a soft, bubbling sound.

He was perfect. He was absolutely, devastatingly perfect.

Isn’t he beautiful, System?

The blue window flickered to life, but instead of the usual robotic text, it was flooded with scrolling messages. The deities who had been watching her "show" since the beginning had gathered together to see this child.

[SassyGoddess: OH. MY. ME. Look at those cheeks! Roxy! He is adorable! And the legs! He has legs! I told you the hybrid genes would work out! He is going to be a heartbreaker. I claim godmother status immediately!]

Roxy couldn’t help the blush that gave way.

[MotheroftheWorld: Strong roots. Deep waters. He carries the weight of the earth and the sea in his bones. You have done well, daughter. You endured the pressure, and you bloomed.]

Eew that sounds too much like you.

[MotherftheWorld: ...]

[GodofWar: He has a good grip. Look at that finger hold. Put a trident in his hand in three years. He’ll rule the ocean.]

[KnowledgeKeeper: "His eyes... such a very unique combination. He was born to rule. He is intelligent. A worthy heir.]

Oh stop! Roxy’s cheeks were tingling at this point.

[System Notification: Divine Gifts Received.]

[From TheSassyGoddess: The Charm of the Tides. (Passive: The child will be naturally loved by all aquatic creatures. No shark will bite him.)]

[From TheMotheroftheWorld: Vitality of the Earth. (Passive: Accelerated healing and bone density adaptation for surface/deep pressure.)]

[From GodofWar: The Warrior’s Instinct. (Passive: Enhanced reflexes.)]

"Thank you," Roxy whispered to the air, overwhelmed. "Thank you so much."

She looked down at Zale, who was now chewing on his own fist, protected by the blessings of literal gods.

Then, the text box shifted.

[WorldBuildingGod (Admin) has entered the chat.]

[TheSassyGoddess: Ugh, it’s the old man again.]

[TheMotheroftheWorld glares at TheSassyGoddess]

[WorldBuildingGod: You have completed the impossible. You have bridged two incompatible species and survived a plot thread that kills 99% of protagonists. The Narrative is pleased.]

Roxy rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I guess. Did you write the part where I almost got eaten by four fishes?"

[WorldBuildingGod: That was a draft. We are here to offer a reward. Not a System reward. A Divine Boon. You have suffered much.]

[WorldBuildingGod: "Ask, Roxy. What do you truly want? Do you want a weapon? Do you want forbidden knowledge? Do you want to see the future?]

The gods waited.

Roxy stared at the screen.

She thought about it. "What do I want?" Roxy repeated, her eyes narrowing.

[WorldBuildingGod: Yes. Name your desire.]

"I want food," she declared.

[WorldBuildingGod: ...Food?]

"Not just food," Roxy corrected, her voice rising to a shout that startled the sleeping Zale. "I want real food! Surface food! greasy, unhealthy, delicious food!"

She pointed a finger at the ceiling.

"I want a full bowl of braised chicken! With the skin on! Crispy! Not boiled!"

She held up a second finger.

"I want a full bowl of ramen! Spicy miso broth! With extra pork belly and a soft-boiled egg! And noodles that don’t float away!"

She held up a third finger.

"I want a full buffalo steak! Medium rare! Bloody! With garlic butter!"

She was panting now, saliva actually filling her mouth.

"And some rich, creamy mushroom soup! With croutons! And add a bottle of grape wine! The expensive stuff! A Cabernet!"

The System seemed to glitch for a second.

[WorldBuildingGod: ...Is that all?]

"NO!" Roxy screamed, slamming her hand on the crib rail. "Make all of them waterproof! And scent-proof! I want to eat it right here, right now."

She glared at the screen, her eyes wild with hunger.

"Thank you!"