While Kaelith could barely comprehend his own happiness, the atmosphere half a ballroom away had turned noticeably grim.

The beast nobles had unconsciously formed a wide circle around Silas and Lucien.

It almost looked as though the light itself dimmed around them.

The floor beneath them warped unsettlingly, shadows rippling across the stone, and some nearby beastmen swore they could see eerie faces flickering briefly through the darkness itself.

Still...

very little frightened beastmen anymore.

The moment Mirabelle had turned her back on them, both males had fallen silent.

Their earlier quarrel instantly forgotten.

Now all of their negative energy had redirected entirely toward Kaelith.

With dark expressions, they watched Mirabelle laughing in the hyena’s arms.

"Can he actually do anything?" Lucien asked dryly.

Silas scoffed.

"Pff. As if."

Lucien’s emerald eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the dance floor.

"She looks comfortable with him."

That made Silas visibly more irritated.

"Kaelith is a smooth talker," the panther muttered darkly. "That’s his entire personality."

Golden eyes snapped briefly toward the fox male.

"Hyenas," he continued dryly, "are irritatingly social creatures. They slip into groups too easily."

Silas crossed his arms.

"He’s loud."

"He’s emotionally unstable."

"He’s irresponsible."

"He’s absolutely flirting by making her laugh right now."

Both males fell silent again.

Because unfortunately...

that part was working.

Across the ballroom, Mirabelle laughed again, her shoulders shaking slightly as Kaelith said something near her ear.

The shadows beneath Silas immediately began moving again.

Lucien exhaled slowly through his nose.

"I dislike him."

"Get in line."

Another pause settled between them.

Meanwhile, Mirabelle and Kaelith finished their dance in mutual silence.

Both stepped away from one another before bowing politely.

Above them, the lanterns swayed gently alongside the movement of the Ancient Tree’s branches.

Beyond the tall windows, the first stars had begun to glitter in the dark sky.

It could have been the perfect evening...

if there hadn’t been hundreds of beast males whose attention immediately snapped toward Mirabelle the moment she stepped away from Kaelith.

Silas’ growl rolled through the ballroom like distant thunder.

And for Mirabelle’s stomach, that was apparently the final signal that it had officially lost patience.

It answered the panther immediately.

Mirabelle’s hands flew to her abdomen as it cramped painfully.

At the edge of her awareness, she noticed several males who already looked ready to approach her.

"I think I’m going to visit the buffet."

Kaelith immediately offered to accompany her, but Mirabelle shook her head firmly.

"Please focus on making sure Silas doesn’t kill anyone."

With that, she hurried out of the ballroom.

Kaelith: "...?"

A few beastmen attempted to move toward her and called after her, but she ignored every single one of them.

Her body currently had only one goal:

Food.

Thankfully, following a female out of the ballroom was considered poor etiquette.

So Mirabelle breathed out in relief the moment she stepped through the large doors.

The antechamber where the females had gathered earlier had now been transformed into a lavish buffet area.

There was even a separate section exclusively for females where they could eat peacefully without males being allowed to enter.

To Mirabelle’s great surprise...

the entire room was empty.

The buffet looked less like a meal and more like something prepared for royalty in a fantasy painting.

Long tables carved from pale wood curved elegantly through the room beneath glowing lanterns. Dark green vines and white flowers wound around silver serving stands, while countless crystal bowls and polished stone platters reflected the warm golden light.

The scent alone nearly made Mirabelle weak.

Sweet fruits.

Roasted meat.

Honey.

Fresh herbs.

Warm butter-like oils.

At the center of the buffet rested several enormous roasted animals glazed with herbs and fruit reductions, their skin perfectly crisp and glistening beneath the light.

Around them were platters filled with sliced meat so tender it nearly fell apart on its own.

Beside those sat grilled river fish wrapped in giant fragrant leaves, roasted mushrooms larger than both of Mirabelle’s hands, creamy root vegetable purées, caramelized onions, herb-covered nuts, and colorful arrangements of strange fruits she had never seen before.

Some resembled glowing peaches.

Others looked almost crystalline inside once sliced open.

Instead of bread or pastries, delicate slices of roasted roots, dried fruit sheets, honey-glazed nuts, and thin, crisp vegetable chips had been arranged beautifully across wooden trays.

Several bowls contained thick soups and stews rich with meat and vegetables, slowly steaming beneath the lantern light.

And the desserts...

Oh god.

Entire tables of desserts.

Fruit creams layered with whipped sweet milk.

Frozen berry mixtures served inside hollowed fruits.

Candied flower petals.

Honeyed nuts coated in spices.

Tiny jewel-like fruit jellies trembling softly on silver plates.

The sheer creativity of the beast world’s cuisine made the entire buffet feel even more luxurious because of it.

Mirabelle stood frozen before the buffet for several long seconds.

Then her stomach growled loudly enough to echo through the empty dining hall.

"...Come to mama," she whispered emotionally.

A/N: Going forward, I probably won’t always manage to upload three Chapters a day.

My health has been kinda meh lately, and starting at the end of the month I’ll be spending a longer time in a day clinic.

But I’ll still do my best. ( •̀-•́ )و