Chapter 203: Chapter 194: Coming Back

Zeke Veridian was lost in thought.

Suddenly, there was a crisp “crack” from deep within the bamboo grove.

Followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

“Bang!”

A rustling sound ensued.

Jago emerged from the woods, carrying several thick purple-striped bamboos, with a bamboo leaf stuck to his head: “Master, I’ve cut the bamboos!”

Luna Sutton heard the noise but didn’t look up: “Put them aside and shave twenty more slender bamboo strips, one finger wide.”

Jago put down the purple-striped bamboo and scratched his head: “Master, you don’t need that many to weave a cradle, do you?”

“Who said I’m only weaving a cradle?”

Her fingers danced as the bamboo strips intertwined nimbly in her palm. She replied lightly, “I’m also making other things: a bamboo wardrobe, bamboo tables and chairs, a rocking chair, vegetable and fruit baskets for draining, bamboo storage shelves, organizing racks… The cave is a mess, after all, things need a place.”

Zeke Veridian was momentarily stunned by her words, frowning slightly: “Are you planning to make all those things?”

“Yes?”

Luna Sutton glanced at him, her hands never stopping: “But I won’t finish them today. Let’s start with the cradle and the nest.”

“Nest? That pup inside of you is most likely Corbin Crowley’s. Why bother preparing a nest?”

Zeke Veridian raised an eyebrow, instinctively looking at her swollen belly as if it were an X-ray.

Though he couldn’t see through the belly.

But with the occasional kicks, it’s definitely a wolf cub.

If Luna were carrying Rhys Blackwood’s snake eggs, they wouldn’t be kicking.

Jago curiously leaned over: “Is the master carrying Lord Rhys’s child?”

Luna Sutton smiled mysteriously: “How would I know? Better safe than sorry.”

She didn’t plan to reveal it early; she intended to surprise them with a big reveal later, to surely shock them.

Zeke Veridian didn’t say much, subtly glancing at her belly before picking up a machete to shave bamboo strips.

His hands moved swiftly, leaving after-images, and soon a pile of shaved bamboo strips formed like a small mountain.

She continued weaving the cradle, finding standing tiring, so she sat on a large stone to work, much more comfortable this way.

With nimble fingers, the bamboo strips intertwined into a neat diamond pattern, and the cradle quickly took shape.

Next to her, Jago squatted clumsily trying to learn, instead making a mess of things and scratching his hands in several places.

Fortunately, they were minor injuries.

Zeke Veridian finally couldn’t take it any longer, grabbed the bamboo strips away: “If you don’t know how, don’t waste the bamboo strips, go shave more.”

Luna Sutton let out a chuckle, casually placing the woven small bamboo basket on Jago’s head: “Use it as a helmet, so you don’t end up cutting your forehead later.”

Peering through the basket’s gaps, Jago’s face showed a pitiful expression, like a gopher caught under a cover.

Knowing he had no talent, Jago didn’t linger to cause further disruption and obediently went to shave more strips.

The sun setting in the west.

Luna Sutton shook her sore wrist, with a completed bamboo cradle beside her, able to rock back and forth with a gentle push.

A large grass-woven circular nest laid on the ground.

This was prepared for the imminent birth of eight snake eggs.

There was also a freshly completed bamboo storage rack.

Prepared to store things, so they wouldn’t be scattered all over.

Zeke tapped the nest big enough to hold a watermelon with his toe, his green eyes glinting with amusement: “Luna, snake eggs are generally small, usually 8 to 10, seldom more than 15. Making such a large nest, are you planning to hatch dragon eggs?”

“I like making them this large, can’t I?”

Luna Sutton rolled her eyes in exasperation, tossing some grass scraps at Zeke, eventually explaining: “What do you know? Hatching snake eggs require maintaining temperature. The nest will be filled with dry grass and soft beast skin, reducing space, surely I’m not going to hatch them myself?”

Anyway, she’d rather die than hatch eggs; if needed, Rhys Blackwood should do it himself.

Zeke Veridian got it right away, knowing Luna’s true form was a she-wolf, not a she-snake, so naturally, she couldn’t hatch snake eggs.

With dry grass and beast skin, it indeed needed to be that big.

So he said nothing more.

The sun gradually set, and the three of them didn’t stay in the back mountain, soon gathering their things to head back.

The newly woven cradle was placed beside the bed, topped with soft beast skins.

With some spare time, Luna Sutton also made a small pillow.

The nest was lined with dry grass and soft beast skins, placed in the corner, ready to house the eight snake eggs once they were born.

Zeke’s gaze fell on the small pillow inside the cradle, his mouth twitching.

Wolf cubs wouldn’t transform until they were three years old, making the small pillow seem unnecessary.

But he said nothing; as long as Luna was happy, it was fine.

That night, the three enjoyed a sumptuous dinner.

Zeke promptly sent Jago away early, voluntarily fetching hot water for Luna Sutton to wash her face and feet.

His demeanor was overly attentive.

Luna Sutton was bewildered, wondering why this sharp-tongued man suddenly got so considerate?

Last night, his foot-washing could be explained as losing a bet.

Tonight, she actually took the initiative to wash herself; it’s as if the sun has risen from the west.

But he didn’t say anything unpleasant.

When a handsome man voluntarily serves you, only a fool would refuse such a good deal.

Her feet soaked in hot water felt just right, so comfortable that her toes curled.

Zeke Veridian half-kneeled by the stone bed, his emerald eyes staring at her fair and rosy feet.

He suddenly blurted out, “Luna, your toenails need trimming.”

They were too busy chatting last night and didn’t notice; only now did he realize her toenails were a bit long.

Luna Sutton: “…”

With her belly this big, she couldn’t reach her legs; even if she wanted to cut them, there was no way.

Moreover, in the beast world, there were no scissors, only bone knives or sharp stone chips for grinding.

Her face darkened, and she nearly kicked over the footbath: “Is this why you’ve been acting so kind in the middle of the night?”

“I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Zeke Veridian knew she misunderstood, chuckled lowly, and magically produced a sharp stone chip, grabbing her ankle: “Don’t move.”

The stone chip scraped against the toenails with a “ka-ka” sound.

As he carefully trimmed her nails, he chuckled lightly: “I heard that when females are pregnant, their feet swell, but yours seem quite normal, not a hint of puffiness at all.”

Luna Sutton proudly wiggled her toes: “Of course, I use my powers daily to clear my meridians, it’d be strange if they were swollen…”

Just as she spoke, the beast skin curtain at the cave entrance suddenly lifted.

Three men stepped in.

It was Corbin Crowley, Rhys Blackwood, and Malachi Arcanus.

Having finished the work over at The Salt Lake, they thought Luna might give birth soon, so they rushed back overnight.

Little did they expect to witness this scene.

Corbin Crowley’s slender fingers cracked as he stared frostily at Zeke Veridian’s hand, silver eyes mocking coldly: “I didn’t know the Azure Moon Wolf had the skill of giving pedicures.”

Zeke Veridian calmly set down the stone chip, looked at Corbin Crowley, his emerald eyes raised: “Did the sand from The Salt Lake blind you? Can’t you see I’m taking care of Luna?”

Rhys Blackwood walked over, his black coat still adorned with salt crystals, his face cold.

He bent down and reached into the foot basin to test the water temperature, finding it acceptable, he said nothing.

Then, his knuckle-defined fingers picked up Luna Sutton’s freshly trimmed toes for inspection: “This stone chip is so dull, what if it scratches?”

Speaking, he took out a sharp obsidian from the pouch at his waist, “Use this.”

Malachi Arcanus leaned against the cave entrance and whistled: “Oh, having quite the fun while we’re not here, huh?”

He pulled out a bone whistle from his chest and casually tossed it to Luna Sutton, “Catch, it’s for the kid to chew on.”

Luna Sutton juggled to catch the tossed bone whistle, almost hitting her belly, just missing.

Corbin Crowley noticed this and scolded angrily: “Malachi, are you looking for death, being so careless?”

Zeke Veridian snatched Luna Sutton’s foot from Rhys Blackwood, “I’ve finished trimming it, what else are you trimming?”

With that said, he took the opportunity to tuck her feet into the beast skin blanket, turned to face the suddenly returned group, and coldly questioned: “Is everything settled at The Salt Lake?”

“We’ve opened up new routes, those fools thought they were cursed by The Beast God, so for the time being, no one dares to go near. We’ve left beastmen guarding there, nothing major will happen.”

Corbin Crowley snorted lightly and sat at the edge of the stone bed.

He suddenly leaned down to Luna Sutton’s belly, “Let me hear if the kid’s making trouble for you.”

Rhys Blackwood suddenly reached out to block him: “You’ve just come back, covered in dust, go wash first.”

“What are you pretending? You ran the fastest on the way back, we’re alike in this.”

Corbin Crowley looked towards Rhys Blackwood, retorting unapologetically.

Luna Sutton watched the tense group in front of her, her temples pulsed.

She grabbed the pillow from the bed and threw it at them: “Returning just to make noise, go to the river and bathe, don’t come back until you’re clean.”

After saying that, she wrapped herself in the beast skin blanket and lay down to sleep.

Remembering something, she coldly added, “Zeke, you go too, I’m going to sleep.”

Zeke Veridian clicked his tongue and stood up.

He casually tucked the stone chip back at his waist and nodded towards Malachi Arcanus: “You, go dispose of the footbath water.”

Malachi Arcanus looked disgruntled: “Why do I have to dump the footbath water?”

“Because you nearly hit the kid just now.”

Rhys Blackwood suddenly spoke, his deep black eyes shimmering with cold light, his voice equally cold.

Corbin Crowley carefully tucked Luna Sutton’s blanket in place, his silver eyes coldly looking at Malachi Arcanus, “If you’re going to do it, hurry, don’t dawdle and disturb Luna’s rest.”

With that said, he had already left the cave.

Clearly going to the river to bathe.

Rhys Blackwood and Zeke Veridian quickly followed suit.

Malachi Arcanus looked miserably at the basin of now-cool footbath water on the floor by the stone bed.

Finally, grumbling, he dumped the footbath water.

Luna Sutton wasn’t asleep at all, listening to Malachi Arcanus muttering as he dumped the footbath water, nearly died laughing.

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