Transmigrated To A Beastworld As The Lazy Wife Of The Fox Lord

Ali’s little face crumpled, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

Sienna froze, the taste of honeyed fish still lingering on her tongue. Elias looked guilty, caught in the act.

Ali’s sobs filled the house, echoing like a siren’s sad wail at the sea.

Sienna reached out, torn between laughter and guilt. She tried to embrace Ali but her daughter’s wail grew louder.

"You left me behind!" she cried, throwing herself to the floor dramatically. "You promised that you would always take me with you when you are going to eat good food, mama. You are a liar. You don’t love me!"

They were familiar with Ali’s expertise when it came to melodrama, but this time, the girl was taking it up a notch.

Ali’s little arms flailed, tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she wailed, "Betrayal! You have betrayed me. Are you my parents? How can parents eat and forget their children? I will not forgive you."

Sienna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Get up, Ali."

Ali kicked her feet stubbornly, body rotating on the polished floor. "I will never get up again. You ate without me. Mama, you broke our bond of mother-daughter food adventure."

Elias crouched beside Ali, trying diplomacy first. "Your mama was not the only one that ate. Stop crying. If you get up, I will buy you food from Piggly Wiggly. Anything you want."

Ali sniffled dramatically. "Piggly Wiggly? You don’t smell like Piggly Wiggly. Papa, you don’t even want to take me where you went!"

Sienna sighed. "Fine. Tomorrow, we will order something for you from the restaurant we went to. Or, I will cook you something myself. Is that better?"

Ali wailed louder. "No! The wound is too deep! My young heart cannot be fixed."

Eli walked in on the scene, sighed and walked to his bedroom.

Elias tried again, his patience thinning. "If you get up, I will allow you to have two desserts tomorrow. Sweet lotus pudding from the royal palace itself. I think you know how precious that is."

Ali peeked through her fingers. "Three bowls."

Sienna crossed her arms. "Sit up, and negotiate in a proper manner. Lying on the floor is not ladylike."

Elias muttered, "She takes after you."

Sienna glared. "Have you ever seen me negotiate while lying down?"

He wanted to say yes, because she did it all the time in her office. Or the living room. Sometimes, she was in that position, half asleep, while negotiating with the elders.

Ali rolled dramatically. "You ate more than dessert. I demand fairness!"

Sienna leaned down, her voice sharp. "Ali, if you don’t get up right now, I will ban you from having meat for a week."

Ali gasped. "You wouldn’t dare!"

Sienna’s eyes narrowed. "Try me."

Elias added, "And lotus pudding either."

Ali clutched her chest. "How can you be so cruel to me? Don’t you love me?"

Sienna rolled her eyes. She was already tired of the theatrics. Straightening, she said coldly, "Stay on the floor if you wish. The negotiation is off. Not all the good food in the world is meant for you alone to eat, Ali. Sometimes, mama and papa dine with their children. Sometimes, they dine alone. That’s life."

Her words cut sharper than any threat. She turned and walked upstairs. Elias sighed, waved a nanny over and followed Sienna.

Ali froze, stunned. Her little mouth opened in shock. "You’re....leaving me?"

She sat up, gasping. Her parents’ backs were retreating, their footsteps echoing up the stairs. Panic surged in her chest.

This time, when she burst into tears, they were genuine. No theatrics, no exaggeration--just raw fear of being ignored. She scrambled to her feet, ran after them, and clung desperately to Sienna’s thigh. "Mama, I am sorry. Don’t leave me!"

Sienna looked down, her stern expression softening. She crouched down and stroked her daughter’s hair. "I am not leaving you, Ali-boo. I just don’t like it when you act like the world revolves around you. We love you, but we won’t always give in to you. You cannot control what we eat. You had dinner tonight, didn’t you? Did we starve you? Did anyone in this house deny you food?"

Ali looked down, fat drops of tears falling to the floor.

Sienna rose and then lifted her. "Promise that this will not happen again." She was not determined not to raise an entitled brat. If she didn’t nip this in the bud, Ali would become more demanding. As a toddler, it was cute. But what about when she was grown and demanding for other people’s food?

Just then, Geo appeared in the doorway, his face grave. He nodded at Elias and looked at Sienna. "My lady, I would like a word."

Sienna handed Ali to Elias and followed Geo to the porch. The wolf beast man looked disturbed.

"I must take a leave for a while," he said without hesitation. "There has been a development in my sister’s death. I must return home."

Sienna’s expression softened. She didn’t ask for answers because he didn’t look ready to give them. "Go. Take whatever you need. Guards, supplies--anything. And take your time, there is no need to rush back. We will be here when you choose to return. This is your home, after all. Even if you decide to take up your position as heir to the wolf tribe, this will remain your home. We will always be your family. I am the annoying younger sister you will never get rid of."

Geo’s eyes glistened. He bowed deeply. "You honor me."

She wanted to say more--maybe, some advice. But what? He had been searching for answers for so long. Maybe, this was the chance for the ice sealing his heart to melt. But what if he didn’t like what he heard?

As he turned to leave, she grabbed the sleeve of his cloak and said, "Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do."

Geo raised his brows. "There is nothing you wouldn’t do."

Sienna laughed softly. "You are wrong. I would never do anything that puts me in prison. At least, not in public. I know that you are carrying a lot of anger. If the fire was truly an arson. If your sister was killed, and you find the killer, I hope that you remain rational. Make them suffer, but don’t kill them. I don’t want to visit you in jail."

He scoffed. "It will be hard not to do as you suggest."

She held on tighter to his sleeve. "Think of all the young noble women whose hearts will be broken if you become a murderer. Not just noble women but ordinary ones too. This empire cannot afford to lose their Prince Wolf charming, as the ladies call you. And think of the children you may have in future. Having a murderer as a father is not exactly something they can read to their classmates, when teachers tell them to write essays about their families."

Geo almost rolled his eyes. "I must leave now. I have handed over all of my duties to Kemper. Whatever he doesn’t know, Kroton and Mr. Corven can fill in."

Sienna gasped. "You brought Kemper on a month ago and took him under your wing. Was it in preparation for this day?"

He nodded.

Her heart sank. If he had brought a replacement, did that mean he had no plans to return? Softly, she asked, "Are you abandoning us?"

Geo smiled softly. "If you keep holding on to me, your husband will find a reason to punch me."

Sienna dropped her hand. She wondered if she was being too nosy. Geo had his own life, and whether he chose to leave for good or not, the choice was his. "Be careful. Don’t walk into any ambush and don’t die." She said her final words, turned and left.

"Same to you." He murmured softly. He was aware of her plan to bring down the Stormfeathers. Her fight was as dangerous as his return to his tribe. In fact, she was in a more dangerous position.

They parted like that, and Sienna returned to the house. She turned the corner, heading to Ali’s room, but Linera intercepted her.

"Sienna...your guards, tall and short sent me a message."

Tall and short were the brothers she had hired, the ex assassins. They refused to give their true names to anyone but her, choosing to be called Tall and Short. Half of their faces were always masked.

"Your mother was on a date with her boyfriend at that new restaurant in the market." Linera lowered her voice. "Some shady people tried to approach her on her way to the bathroom. They were intercepted before reaching her. They were caught and tortured. They admitted they had been sent to kidnap her. The plan was for a car to explode in the market. While everyone was panicking, they would vanish with her. By the time everything would be brought to calm, she would be long gone."

Sienna froze, her blood running cold. The Stormfeathers had finally made their move. And now, she could make hers.