Behind her came two more women, also beastfolk, also in uniforms. And behind them, an older woman with grey hair and fox ears, carrying a medical bag.
The first woman bowed. "Good morning, ma'am. We hope you slept well. We brought breakfast and the physician to check on you and the young one."
Lin Yue's brain processed this information rapidly.
Maids.
Multiple maids, which meant this was a household with staff.
A physician, which meant someone had ordered medical care for her.
The bowing, the formal address, the deference in their posture.
The man she had slept with wasn't just high-ranking.
He was royalty.
And to command this level of service, to have maids and physicians at his beck and call, he wasn't just any royal.
He was probably a prince.
There was a 99% percent chance that the man she slept with was a prince.
Her train of thought derailed completely when the maids set down the food.
There was a pitcher of water.
A cup.
Some utensils.
And a massive platter piled high with—
Meat.
All of it was meat.
Roasted meat, sliced meat, meat on skewers, meat in a sauce, meat that smelled so incredibly good that Lin Yue's mouth flooded with saliva instantly.
Her stomach growled loud enough for everyone to hear.
The fox-eared physician smiled. "Hungry, I see. That's good. Very good for the cub."
Lin Yue stared at the meat.
She had never been a big meat eater. She liked chicken. She could handle pork. But beef was whatever and lamb was too gamey and she definitely didn't crave it.
But right now, she wanted to dive face-first into that platter and not come up for air.
[THE CUB NEEDS PROTEIN. LOT'S OF PROTEIN. YOUR CRAVINGS ARE GOING TO GET INTENSE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. JUST SO YOU KNOW. EVEN AFTER GIVING BIRTH]
Lin Yue ignored the screen. She looked at the maids, at the physician, at the food.
"Is it safe?" Her voice came out smaller than she intended. "To eat? I don't know what's safe here. I don't know what's poisonous. I have to think about my baby now. I can't just eat anything."
The physician's expression softened. "The food is safe, young one. It comes from the palace kitchens. All of it is prepared under strict supervision. You and your baby will come to no harm from it."
Lin Yue wanted to believe her.
She really did.
But she also wanted that meat.
She reached for the water first. Her throat was parched, and hydration seemed like the smart place to start. She drank three cups in rapid succession, ignoring the way the maids exchanged amused glances.
Then she looked at the meat.
She picked up a piece. Roasted, seasoned with something she couldn't identify, still warm.
She took a bite.
Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head.
It was the best thing she had ever tasted.
The meat was tender and juicy and flavorful and she couldn't eat it fast enough.
She grabbed another piece.
Then another.
Then she was using both hands, shoveling meat into her mouth like she hadn't eaten in weeks, and she couldn't stop, didn't want to stop, the hunger was overwhelming and the meat was perfect and—
[SLOW DOWN. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE YOURSELF SICK.]
She slowed down.
But barely.
The physician watched her with an amused expression. The maids pretended not to notice her feral eating habits. Lin Yue didn't care.
Let them watch.
This meat was worth any embarrassment.
Between bites, she forced herself to think.
She was in a castle.
She was carrying a royal baby.
The man who had helped create that baby was a prince or at least some kind of royalty.
He had brought her here, given her a room, provided maids and a physician.
But he hadn't come himself.
Why?
Was he busy? Did he not want to see her?
Was he embarrassed? Regretful? Angry?
She had no answers.
And MS wouldn't give her any.
Fine. She would figure it out herself.
Starting with breakfast.
She reached for more meat.
After breakfast, the physician checked her over thoroughly. She pressed gently on Lin Yue's stomach, asked questions about pain and discomfort, nodded approvingly at the answers.
"The cub is developing well," she said.
"You'll feel it grow throughout the day. By evening, you'll notice a difference. By tomorrow morning, an even bigger one. By the third day, you'll be ready to give birth."
Lin Yue's throat went dry. "Give birth? How long does that take?"
The physician tilted her head. "Every birth is different. Some are quick. Some take time. The body knows what to do. You'll be fine."
It wasn't exactly reassuring, but Lin Yue nodded anyway.
The physician left. Leaving some instructions to the maids who stayed.
"Please come with us, ma'am," the feline one said. "We'll prepare you for the day."
They led her to a bathroom.
The room was huge, tiled in pale stone, with a sunken pool in the center that steamed gently.
Flowers floated on the surface of the water, releasing a soft, pleasant fragrance.
More tiles lined the walls, and tall windows let in sunlight that made the whole space glow.
It was a bath.
A fancy, expensive, ridiculous bath.
"Please undress, ma'am," one of the maids said. "We'll help you into the water."
Lin Yue's face went up in flames. "I can—I can bathe myself. Really. I don't need—"
"It's our duty, ma'am." The maid's expression didn't change. "Please don't make this difficult."
Lin Yue wanted to argue.
She wanted to insist.
She wanted to tell them that in her world, people bathed alone, thank you very much, and having strangers wash you was something that happened in historical dramas, not real life.
But the maids just stood there, waiting patiently, and she realized they weren't going to leave.
So she undressed.
It was the most embarrassing experience of her life. And given that she had recently jumped a stranger in the back of a flying car, that was saying something.
The maids were efficient and professional.
They helped her down into the warm water, which felt incredible on her aching muscles.
They washed her hair with gentle hands, working through the tangles with something that smelled like flowers.
They scrubbed her back, her arms, her legs.
Lin Yue sat in the water with her face burning, staring straight ahead, pretending she was anywhere else in the universe.
When they helped her out and dried her off, she thought the worst was over.