Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 180: The Bean Juice and the Missing Shadow

The morning sun hit the marble floors of the Solaris Palace, but Primrose wasn’t awake because of the light. She was awake because of the vibration.

The entire breakfast table seemed to be humming.

Primrose rubbed her eyes, walking into the private dining parlor. The table was laden with pastries, fruit, and grilled fish, but Ophelia wasn’t eating.

The ancient Nine-Tailed Fox was staring intensely at a small porcelain cup. Her tails were wagging so fast they were a white blur.

"Primrose!" Ophelia shouted. She didn’t turn around. She just vibrated. "Come here. Explain this... sludge."

Primrose walked over. "Good morning, Grandma. That’s coffee."

"Coffee," Ophelia repeated. She took a sip, her eyes widening until they were almost perfectly round. "It tastes like burnt dirt. It’s bitter. It’s hot."

She took another sip.

"And it makes my brain feel like it’s running a marathon while my body is sitting still. Is this a combat potion? A berserker draught?"

"It’s a stimulant," Caspian explained, walking in with a tray of fresh tea. He looked well-rested for the first time in months, wearing a loose silk shirt that showed off the faint blue scales on his collarbone. "The traders from the Southern Isles brought it. I prefer tea, but the Palace Chefs insisted you try it." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"I love it," Ophelia declared. She downed the espresso shot in one gulp. "I feel like I could fight the Void again. Right now. Where is it? I’ll punch it."

"The Void is gone, Grandma," Primrose laughed, pouring herself a cup. She needed the caffeine. Saving the world was exhausting, but the emotional hangover was worse. "You can just... relax."

"Relaxing is boring," Ophelia jittered. "I have missed a thousand years of innovation. What else have you invented? Do you have flying carpets? Teleporting toilets?"

"Indoor plumbing," Jax said, strolling in with Luna on his arm.

Primrose nearly dropped her cup.

Jax looked... different. He was wearing a clean shirt, his hair was combed (mostly), and he had a stupid, goofy grin plastered on his face. Luna looked equally happy, her cheeks flushed pink.

"Indoor plumbing is nice," Jax agreed, pulling out a chair for Luna. "But the real innovation is the toaster. I fixed three of them this morning."

"You broke three of them," Luna corrected gently, placing a hand on his arm.

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at the couple. She sniffed the air.

"Aha!" Ophelia pointed a finger at Jax. "The Mechanic and the Maid. I smell... satisfaction. And mint."

Jax turned bright red. "I brushed my teeth. First impressions matter."

"Good job," Ophelia winked. "The Maid is scary. Keep her happy."

The mood was light, the coffee was flowing, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

But then, something strange happened.

Ophelia reached for a strawberry tart. Her hand passed right through it.

It happened so fast, Primrose almost missed it. Ophelia’s fingers flickered—turning transparent like a ghost—before solidifying again.

Ophelia froze. She stared at her hand.

"Grandma?" Primrose asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"It’s nothing," Ophelia said quickly, snatching the tart on the second try. "Mana fluctuation. I’m just rusty."

But Primrose saw the look in her eyes. It wasn’t confusion. It was resignation.

Later, while the Warlords were arguing about politics and the kids were chasing Pickles in the garden, Primrose cornered Ophelia on the balcony.

"Show me," Primrose demanded.

Ophelia sighed. She held up her hand against the sunlight.

It was fading. The tips of her fingers were translucent. Primrose could see the stone railing through Ophelia’s skin.

"How long?" Primrose asked, her throat tight.

"Since I woke up," Ophelia admitted, leaning back. "Primrose, you know what I am. I’m an Echo. My body is real, but the soul that powers it... it’s borrowed time."

"Because your soul is in me," Primrose whispered.

"Exactly," Ophelia nodded. "We are two files trying to run on the same computer. The universe is getting confused. It’s trying to merge us."

"I don’t want to merge," Primrose said fiercely. "I like having a grandma. I like having someone who remembers the First Age."

"You won’t lose the memories," Ophelia promised. "When the merge happens... you’ll remember everything I do. You’ll remember Etienne. You’ll remember the war."

"But I won’t have you," Primrose argued. "I won’t have the person who yells at statues and drinks coffee."

Ophelia smiled softly. She reached out and touched Primrose’s cheek. Her hand felt cool, almost immaterial.

"You are me, Little Fox. The stubbornness? The love for food? That was always us. You’re just the version that got to be happy."

The Political Storm

Before Primrose could argue further, Rajah burst onto the balcony. He was holding a scroll and looking stressed.

"We have a problem," Rajah grunted.

Primrose wiped her eyes quickly. "The Void is back?"

"Worse," Rajah said grimly. "Politics."

He unrolled the scroll. It hit the floor and kept rolling.

"The news of the victory has spread. Every noble house in the Beast Empire is currently en route to Solaris. The Tiger Elders, the Wolf Matriarchs, the Serpent Alchemists... they all want an audience with the Silver Sovereign. And..."

He looked at Primrose nervously.

"They want to know when the wedding is."

Primrose groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Can I go back to the desert? It was quiet there."

"No," Caspian laughed, stepping out to join them. "You promised me a cake. And a beach house. We have to get through the wedding first."

Ophelia snatched the list from Rajah. She scanned it.

"Tiger Elders?" she scoffed. "I remember them. Stuck-up cats. Don’t worry, Little Fox. I’ll handle the politics."

She grinned, though her image flickered slightly like a bad hologram.

"I haven’t yelled at a politician in a millennium. I intend to enjoy it while I can."

"We can’t stay in Solaris forever," Leonis said, joining the group. "The city needs rebuilding, and the Heirs... they need to go home. They need normalcy."

"Normalcy?" Primrose laughed. "Leonis, look at them."

She pointed to the garden.

Pickles (now the size of a large dog) was chasing Rurik around a tree. Vali and Arjun were practicing swordplay with Ellia judging them. Orion was trying to teach Silas how to blow bubbles with his spit.

"They aren’t normal," Primrose said with fierce pride. "They’re legends in training. And they need a place to learn."

She looked at Caspian, then at the Warlords.

"We need a school," Primrose decided. "Not a stuffy academy. A place where they can be monsters and heroes at the same time."

"The Unity Academy," Jasper suggested, walking up with a notebook he had seemingly pulled out of thin air. "I have already drafted a curriculum. It includes Combat, Diplomacy, and Advanced Snacking."

"Approved," Primrose declared.

She looked at her family. The Warlords. The fading Ancestor. The Maid and the Mechanic. The Kids.

The war was over. The paperwork was just beginning. And somewhere in the background, a clock was ticking on Ophelia’s time in this world.

But for the first time, Primrose didn’t feel overwhelmed. She felt ready.

"Alright," Primrose clapped her hands. "First, we plan a wedding. Second, we build a school. Third... someone get me a mojito. Grandma is driving me crazy, and I need to cherish every second of it."

"I heard that!" Ophelia yelled from the dessert cart. "And make it a double! I intend to fade out with a buzz!"

Caspian laughed, the sound rich and free, echoing against the marble walls of the palace that was no longer a cage, but a home. He pulled Primrose close, kissing the top of her head.

The sun climbed higher over the city. The shadows of the Void were gone.

It was a new day. And for the first time in history, the Fox and the merman were ready to face it together.