Chapter 181 - 180: Fenix

A flicker of surprise crossed Yvonne Lowell’s eyes. ’This guy sure knows how to read the room. He’s already accepted me as his master.’

Still, this was his first time "meeting the family," and he was already putting on such a formal display. ’According to human customs, shouldn’t I give this wolf cub a red envelope as a welcoming gift?’

Blondie: ’I’m not an idiot. I’m a lone wolf who fled over mountains and ridges. Now someone’s willing to keep me, I can eat my fill without having to hunt, and I get a wife, pups, and a warm den. What’s not to love? As for eating humans? Not happening. I’ve long heard that human flesh is stringy and tastes awful. I’ll pass!’

Yvonne Lowell squatted down and held out her hand to the wolf.

It instinctively flinched but immediately froze.

Yvonne Lowell placed her hand on its head and stroked its fur. It felt surprisingly soft, and she couldn’t resist giving it another pat.

"From now on, your name is Fenix."

’Now that he’s my wolf, I can’t keep calling him Blondie.’

’Considering the boy is reasonably handsome, I’ll approve this match.’

Luna: ’I’m carrying his pups. You think you can disapprove? Don’t make us elope!’

"Awooo~" ’Whatever you say! I don’t give a damn!’

Fenix raised his head, nuzzled Yvonne Lowell’s palm, then turned to find his mate.

Yvonne Lowell’s lips twitched. ’Whipped already, I see.’

"Let’s go. I’ll take you two to the vet’s office for a check-up. Afterward, you can decide whether you want to live in The Menagerie or on the mountain. It’s up to you."

Unable to watch the lovey-dovey couple, Yvonne Lowell led the way with the Leogryph.

At this hour, almost everyone was training, so the group—one human, one leogryph, and two wolves—only encountered a few people along the way. Every single one of them was shocked.

’Why is there a wild wolf with them?! Could that be Luna’s legendary mate?! The Master tamed it just like that?!’

’Normally, our first reaction to seeing these beasts would be to run for it. If the animals caught us standing still, we’d get chased on a mandatory marathon.’

’But now, the real terror of the group is with them, so our legs are rooted to the spot. She’s far more terrifying than any of the beasts, and we even have to say hello...’

’I want to escape, but I can’t get away~’

"M-Master, hello. And Leogryph, Luna... and you, uh, big fella... hello to you too..."

The moment the words were out, they bolted without a second glance.

Yvonne Lowell pinched the bridge of her nose and gave her massive companions an exasperated look. "See what you’ve done? You’ve scared them half to death. They look at you like mice seeing a cat."

"ROAR!" ’They’re just cowards! Why aren’t *you* scared?!’

"AWOO!" ’Exactly!’

"Awooo~" ’My mate is right!’

Yvonne Lowell’s lip twitched. ’Such colorful language,’ she thought. ’But I doubt they’re cursing me.’

She took them to the vet’s office and waited until their check-ups were done before leading them out again.

On the way back to the main building, she happened to run into Felix Knight and Finn Knight, who had just returned from a mission.

"Master."

"Master."

Yvonne Lowell nodded slightly. "Did it go smoothly?"

"Everything went smoothly. With the Mercenary Corps cooperating, it didn’t take much effort. But Leon kept Regan behind to help with the cleanup," Felix Knight said.

"Alright, got it."

Yvonne Lowell let out an unreadable chuckle. ’That Leon really knows how to play his cards.’

’It’s not like the Mercenary Corps is short on people. Did he really need to keep a 20-year-old girl behind just to help with cleanup?’

’But she wasn’t going to interfere. Whether anything came of it would be up to them.’

’The other three Knights doted on Regan like a little sister. Leon was probably in for a rough time.’

’That wimp couldn’t even beat Regan herself, let alone Felix. And that’s not even mentioning that Regan hasn’t even caught on yet.’

Finn Knight’s eyes lit up as he looked at Fenix. "Master, isn’t that Luna’s husky boyfriend? Did you beat him into submission?!"

Yvonne Lowell shot him a look. "I won this wolf over with my moral character, thank you very much. Besides, his name is Fenix now, not Husky."

’Although he really does look like one...’

Finn Knight gave an awkward laugh. "Oh... Fenix. Fenix is a nice name."

"Alright, I’m leaving him with you two. He’s new here, so keep a close eye on things," Yvonne Lowell instructed, still a little worried.

"Understood. Don’t worry, Master."

Yvonne Lowell was about to leave when she saw Felix Knight looking like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

"Spit it out."

Felix Knight’s gaze darted away as he subconsciously glanced at Finn Knight, but Finn just looked at the sky, the ground—anywhere but at him. ’Damn it!! Traitor!!’

"Hehe, well... I heard from Carefree last night that the Pavilion Master of The Shadow Pavilion... I mean, your boyfriend... is here. Why haven’t I seen him?"

"He went out. He’ll probably be back tonight. Why?" Yvonne Lowell raised an eyebrow.

"It’s nothing, nothing. You’re busy. We’ll just take Luna and Fenix for a bath now."

Felix Knight quickly shook his head and led Luna away, with her pampered little husband, Fenix, trailing behind.

Yvonne Lowell was speechless. ’All that fuss over something so small? He was acting so shifty, I thought he had some earth-shattering news.’

’Like Moonshadow was about to fall, or Pluto was going bankrupt, or Leo Grant was cheating on me. And this is all it was?!’

...

That afternoon, Yvonne Lowell was curled up on the sofa, drawing blueprints.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

A knock came from outside the door.

Without looking up, Yvonne Lowell said, "Come in."

Leo Grant pushed the door open and came in. "They said you came up right after lunch. What are you working on?"

"You’re back? I’m drawing some blueprints." Yvonne Lowell turned and smiled at him.

Leo Grant came forward and helped her sit up, then sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her, acting as a human backrest.

Yvonne Lowell found a comfortable position to lean back in. "You’re all hard. Not as comfortable as the sofa."

Leo Grant laughed in exasperation, giving her neck a gentle nip. "You’re the one who loves this physique, and now you’re going to complain about it?"

"What the hell! Are you looking for a fight?" Yvonne Lowell glared at him irritably.

"No fights, no fights. I can’t beat you anyway. We don’t do domestic violence in this house."

Leo Grant placatingly kissed the spot he had just bitten, then looked at her drawing board, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "You just drew this?"

The blueprint’s level of detail was undeniable. Even the dimensions for the individual parts were clearly marked on the side. A layman could have understood it. He was once again confronted with the sheer scale of Lila’s talent.

"Mhm, LY has been pestering me, and I’m supposed to be the boss," Yvonne Lowell pouted.

For years, she’d worked herself to the bone, training new talent on the side, all so she could finally kick back and aim for a cushy retirement at twenty.

And now? The ’kids’ were all grown up, and she was almost at her retirement goal, but they were turning around and forcing her back into the grind.

’Ah, well. It’s all up to fate.’

Leo Grant was amused. His little rascal was always, at every moment, trying to find a way to slack off and do nothing.

Just as he was about to speak, Yvonne Lowell’s phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Yvonne Lowell raised an eyebrow. ’It’s still the crack of dawn in Aurelia. Is Old Man Jennings up this early?’

Yvonne Lowell sat up and swiped to answer the call. Nina Jennings’s panicked whisper immediately came through the speaker,

"Yvonne! I’m so screwed!! I slept with Silas Lynch last night!!!"