Rebirth Of The Duke's Daughter

Chapter 72

Mila sat down at the table, her face still flushed with embarrassment from that morning's events. She couldn't shake the memory of Kate calling ZH "papa," and the more she thought about it, the redder her cheeks became. Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed when Sara reached out to touch her forehead, concern evident in her eyes.

"Mila, you don't have a fever, do you?" Sara asked, her hand lingering on Mila's forehead, but she felt no signs of a fever.

Mila's face grew even redder as she remembered how ZH had done the same thing earlier that morning, checking her temperature with that same gentle concern. "I-I-I'm fine," she stammered, quickly turning her attention to her plate, trying to focus on her food instead of the swirling thoughts in her mind.

Kate, sitting nearby with the other beasts, was happily eating her meal. 'Mama! This is really good food!' she exclaimed, her tails wagging with delight as she devoured her meal. The other four beasts watched her with a mix of amusement and concern, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Mila glanced over at them, watching as Kate interacted with the others. The little fox seemed to view the older beasts as her elders, a fact that both warmed and worried Mila's heart. 'She's so innocent,' Mila thought, feeling a tug of affection for the young creature.

Cotton, however, was less at ease. 'H-H-How long are we going to let this go on?' she asked, her voice trembling slightly as she looked around at the other beasts. They were all equally concerned, their expressions reflecting their uncertainty about how to handle Kate's attachment to Mila and ZH.

Skye sighed, her gaze softening as she watched Kate. 'Until she's old enough to understand the difference between humans and beasts and the roles of master and companions. But not now. She's just a baby, and it wouldn't be right to confuse her at this stage.' There was a note of sadness in her voice, a recognition of the inevitable challenges that lay ahead for the young fox.

Mila remained silent, her heart heavy with the weight of the situation. She knew that correcting Kate now could lead to tears and confusion, and the last thing she wanted was to upset the baby beast. But she also understood that allowing this to continue unchecked might lead to problems later on. 'I have a bad feeling about this,' Mila thought, her worry deepening as she considered what the future might hold if Kate became too confident and attached to the idea of them being her parents.

As the meal continued, Mila watched Kate with a mixture of love and concern, knowing that she would need to navigate this delicate situation carefully for both Kate's sake and her own sake.

***

Somewhere within the grand halls of the Asiradda Palace, a small group had gathered in the palace kitchen, the air buzzing with quiet excitement. Emmett leaned in, his voice hushed but filled with anticipation. "Okay, so what's the plan this year?" he asked, knowing they were planning a surprise birthday for Mila. They had all pooled their resources, gathering ingredients and supplies for the celebration.

Sara, who had taken charge of the cake for the past few years, spoke up with a determined look. "I'll be making the cake, as usual. None of you know how to bake, and we can't have a birthday without a proper cake." Her tone was teasing, but there was a touch of seriousness in her words. She knew how much this meant to everyone, especially Mila.

The others nodded, already trying to think of what they could contribute to make the day special. Suddenly, the door to the kitchen creaked open, and Kayla stepped in, followed closely by ZH. Both wore curious expressions as they looked at the gathered group.

"What's going on here?" Kayla asked, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. ZH, equally curious, scanned the room, noting the assortment of ingredients and the secretive glances being exchanged.