Page 41 of The Villainess Chose Naps Over Death Flags

Dreamweavers. Small, adorable cubs that grew into 400-pound apex predators capable of manipulating shadows and walking through dreams. Extremely dangerous. Extremely deadly. One had killed three of his border patrol soldiers last year before he'd put it down himself.

"Did it attack her?" Caspian demanded, already rising from his chair.

"No, Your Grace. Quite the opposite, actually." Sterling paused. "She bonded with it."

Caspian sat back down slowly. "She... bonded with it."

"Yes, Your Grace. A full familiar bond."

Edwin's grin widened. "She adopted the murder kitten."

"It's not a kitten," Caspian said sharply. "It's a predator. A dangerous one."

"Currently it's a very small, very cute predator," Sterling said. "The kitchen staff estimates it weighs approximately fifteen pounds."

"It will weigh 400 pounds in less than two years," Caspian countered. "With claws that can tear through armor and the ability to become invisible in shadows. What was she thinking?"

"According to the staff who witnessed the event," Sterling continued, reading from his notes, "the Duchess personally visited the kitchen to request dried mackerel, warm honeyed milk, and sweet cream pastries. She then returned to the garden and spent approximately forty minutes hand-feeding the cub and gaining its trust."

"Hand-feeding," Caspian repeated flatly.

"Yes, Your Grace. She was observed sitting on the garden path, placing food in her palm, and allowing the creature to eat directly from her hand."

Edwin was trying very hard not to laugh. "That's actually kind of brave. Dreamweaver cubs have very sharp teeth."

"They also have very sharp claws and will grow into killing machines," Caspian said. "This is not amusing."

"It's a little amusing," Edwin countered. "Your terrifying villainess wife just adopted a future apex predator and named it Mochi."

"She named it what?"

"Mochi," Sterling confirmed. "After the bonding completed, she carried the cub back to her chambers and, according to her maids, is currently constructing an elaborate bed for it using approximately seventeen pillows."

Caspian pressed his fingers to his temples. "Seventeen pillows."

"The maids were very specific about the count, Your Grace."

For a long moment, Caspian said nothing. His mind was racing through tactical assessments.

Caroline had bonded with a Dreamweaver. A creature that would become lethal in a matter of years. A creature that would be absolutely loyal to her and only her. A creature that could, theoretically, be trained to attack on command.

"Is she planning to raise it as a weapon?" Caspian asked quietly.

Sterling and Edwin exchanged glances.

"Against you, you mean?" Edwin said, his amusement fading slightly. "That's... a long-term plan. Dreamweavers take at least two years to reach full size."

"She tried to poison me three weeks ago," Caspian pointed out. "Clearly she's patient."

"The staff reports suggest otherwise," Sterling said carefully. "They believe she genuinely bonded with the creature out of... affection."

"Affection."

"Yes, Your Grace. Multiple witnesses reported that she spoke to it very gently, called it 'beautiful' and 'perfect,' and appeared genuinely emotional when it accepted the bond." Sterling paused. "She also immediately declared it her 'emotional support dream-weaver.'"

Edwin did laugh at that. "I'm sorry, her what?"

"Emotional support dream-weaver," Sterling repeated, deadpan. "Those were her exact words according to the head gardener, who was attempting to prune roses nearby."