Chapter 52: Ch 52. Stoner And His Clan Problems

"Is your father awake yet?" Selena asked, putting an end to all of Vylen’s whining. "I still have a lot to do, so you’d better hurry up and ask him."

Although her four husbands were still unsatisfied with Selena’s earlier answer about Dali Hawksen, they eventually had no choice but to sit back in their respective seats.

"My father has regained consciousness, but he’s still a bit weak. A doctor from the Fox clan is examining him. I already asked him about it earlier, but he couldn’t give a clear answer yet. You know yourself—my father was poisoned, and he’s been under Briella’s influence for years. So his condition isn’t exactly stable yet," said Vylen, shaking his head helplessly.

Selena leaned back, then crossed her arms. "Or maybe he’s deliberately keeping the past a secret?" Selena snapped irritably, silencing Vylen. "Your father was indeed poisoned, controlled, and has been enduring this for years. But that doesn’t make it hard for him to speak, especially since he was well-cared for while he was confined. I checked on him earlier, and his condition isn’t that bad—are you sure he’s avoiding the topic?"

"If he’s avoiding it, does that mean he feels guilty?" Jhon asked with a suspicious look.

"I don’t know—it’s highly likely. I don’t know much about that case either; it seems to have been swept under the rug, but I know it’s definitely connected to my mother’s death. If I’m not mistaken, my mother also died after being poisoned. Based on the information I gathered from the remaining fragments of the report, the person who poisoned my mother was indeed from the Fox group and also one of the high-ranking members of our clan," said Vylen, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Why was it swept under the rug? Was the case mixed up, or were the accusations misdirected?"

Vylen shook his head slowly. "That’s the problem—I don’t know what else to make of it. Maybe my father or someone else who knew about the case deleted the data. This matter doesn’t seem as simple as you say," he said, looking at Selena, who had already sighed in exasperation.

If only she had hypnotic powers or could read people’s minds, this would probably be very easy. She wouldn’t need to ask that annoying old man or anyone else involved.

"What if we conduct an investigation without involving the Old Fox King? Isn’t it possible to get a clue or two?" asked Stoner, who had been silently listening the whole time.

"I’ve just started looking into it; maybe that could be an option if my father refuses to explain. Earlier, I saw that my father seemed to have lost his will to live. He’s been like that ever since my mother left—I feel bad about pushing him too hard," said Vylen, making Selena snort.

"I really admire your devotion to your father. I understand you don’t want to reopen old wounds if this issue is indeed connected to the cause of your mother’s death."

"But being ruthless, on one hand, does feel sad—yet this is the only way you can uncover the truth. Do you want to just let this slide? Especially since Briella had already come up with a pretty crazy plan involving turning some of the Fox Village residents into monsters," Selena said firmly, causing Vylen to clench his own hands.

"Give me a little more time; I’ll try to persuade him gently. I know how my father feels—he might feel guilty toward me and toward them if what happened back then was a case of mistaken identity. I don’t know what this has to do with Briella, but let me ask him gently. That way, she might be more willing to answer later," said Vylen with a hesitant look.

Selena exhaled, unable to say anything because this man was, after all, a bit unreasonable. Vylen treated his father very gently—even though his father had clearly poisoned him, even if it was to control others—but Selena still remembered how arrogant this man had been when he’d forced her to die yesterday.

Selena began to understand a little: these beasts were cruel and strict toward other beasts, but they were full of tenderness and very forgiving of the mistakes made by their own members.

"I’ll give you two days. If by then he still refuses to answer or explain anything, I’ll have no choice but to use force," Selena said firmly, causing Vylen to look at her and swallow hard.

"I don’t need any of you here at all, especially if you’re stubborn and selfish. I’ll only heal those who want to be healed. If any of you even try to cover up the mistake that’s also the main cause of your illness, then just deal with it on your own—heal yourselves. I won’t help if that person refuses to cooperate with me," Selena said again, then stood up and walked away, holding back her emotions.

Vylen hung his head where he sat, hesitant and worried about what he should do, but he also knew this was a matter of his life and his father’s.

"Think about what Selena said, Fox King. We’ve gone to great lengths to keep her here and get her to agree to heal us—don’t throw that away if you really don’t want to die," Dorven said, then stood up.

Jhon and Stoner also stood up, offering a few words of encouragement and comfort, then the three of them walked away, leaving Vylen so he could think more calmly.

Coxy, seeing everyone leave, immediately walked inside and looked at her King, who was deep in thought, pondering what he should do.

"Your Majesty, I know you loved the Old King dearly. The Old King also loved you very much. If you were to explain the events of the past—as that might be one way to cure you of the poison—the Old King might change his mind," Coxy said politely, offering guidance.

"My father always looks so sad when I talk about my mother and past events related to her death. That is his deepest emotional wound; I just can’t bring myself to bring it up," said Vylen, covering his face with both hands and bowing his head helplessly.

"But it’s better that you’re the one asking rather than the Queen, Your Majesty. The Queen won’t go easy on him—I can tell you that because I witnessed how she treated Briella so roughly. With a single move, the Queen paralyzed her entire body; it would be extremely dangerous if she were to do that to the Old King," said Coxy, still shivering at the memory of Selena’s actions earlier.

Vylen tensed; he, too, remembered how Selena had leaped over the fence yesterday when they captured Briella. The woman had flown through the air and landed swiftly before catching Briella, who had been hiding.

Indeed, it would be very dangerous to let Selena interrogate his father. Vylen would be better off doing it himself; that way, he could be gentler.

"Prepare my father’s favorite meal; we’ll go there afterward."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

***

Stoner clenched his fists when he saw Selena standing behind him. He swallowed hard, staring at Vee, who had already bowed respectfully to him.

"What brings you here, Wolf King?" Selena asked in a calm voice without turning around.

"I brought some delicious food from the Wolf clan. I thought you were still upset about what the Fox King did, so I came to cheer you up," he said hesitantly, causing Selena to let out a heavy sigh.

"I’ve never understood your way of thinking. Are you always gentle toward your own pack members but harsh and cruel when dealing with other packs? Is that how things are in Eldoria these days?" Selena asked, making Stoner smile faintly.

"I’m not like that—it depends on the individual," he replied, then sat down, while Vee had already set the food Stoner had brought out on the table. "I’m quite firm with any Wolf clan members who’ve done wrong, and I never play favorites because being a strong King isn’t just about relying on feelings—it’s also about using your brain."

Selena turned around and looked at Stoner for a moment. "But the Fox King, who’s supposed to be naturally cruel and arrogant, doesn’t act that way. It actually makes sense—that man is his father. Meanwhile, you’ve never had to deal with your family in situations like this," she replied, making Stoner smile softly.

"You’re wrong," Stoner replied calmly, then stood up and walked toward Selena, who was still standing there reluctantly. "I’ve actually had a very long-standing conflict with my father and my father’s three brothers. To this day, the enemies of the Wolf clan I lead are my father and my three uncles. That’s what I’ve been hiding from everyone all this time."

Selena furrowed her brow, staring at Stoner, who was smiling right in front of her, with the two of them standing quite close.

"What did your father and your three uncles do to cause such hostility between you?" Selena asked curiously.

Stoner smiled, gently took Selena’s hand, and led her toward a chair.

Unfortunately, he felt that surge of desire again when he touched Selena. However, he didn’t care; it wasn’t the right time to talk about desire with this woman.

Selena might get angry, slap him, and hate him again. So he had to suppress this desire in secret, even though he could easily act foolishly and kiss Selena right then and there if he wanted to.

"Eat up—this is the best food in the Wolf clan," Stoner said as he set the food down in front of Selena.

The woman glared at him with a dissatisfied expression because Stoner hadn’t answered her question.

"I’ll tell you once you’ve tasted the food I brought," Stoner said, as if he understood what she was thinking.

Selena finally pouted in annoyance, but she had no choice but to eat the food because she was quite hungry after all that emotional turmoil. Meanwhile, Stoner smiled as he watched her, who seemed to be enjoying the meal.

Selena’s face, which had been slightly furrowed in annoyance, was now more relaxed and at ease. It revealed the beauty she possessed, which had been hidden by her earlier sour expression.

Selena admitted that the food in this world wasn’t bad; it made her feel at home. Even though many things often upset her—especially regarding the issues with her fifth husband.

"Stop staring at me—I know I’m very beautiful and charming," Selena remarked without looking at him, causing Stoner to smile and look away as if he’d been caught red-handed. "This food is delicious. So, what’s really the problem between you, your father, and your three uncles? You can tell me now—I’m a little curious."