‘I’m inside.’
I blinked in disbelief, and my gaze was drawn to black fur. The glossy coat looked incredibly smooth. I felt a reckless urge to touch it. Before I knew it, my hand reached out.
[……]
It was even softer than it looked. As I stroked it, almost entranced, I felt a prickling sensation on the top of my head.
“…Ah!”
Startled, I pulled my hand away. Golden pupils swept over me, as if examining something strange. He didn’t seem angry. If he were, he probably would have tried to devour me already.
[Pour your magic into the seal.]
It seemed he had no intention of scolding me for my rudeness.
At Cartel’s words, I carefully reached out my arm. Even standing on tiptoe, I couldn’t quite reach his neck. He let out a low sigh and lowered his head a bit more.
‘It’s cold.’
I finally managed to touch the seal. The cold iron encircling his nape sent a chill down my spine, a stark contrast to the sensation of stroking his fur just moments ago.
My mood subtly sank. I forced myself to ignore it and slowly focused my mind. Then, I began to channel my magic into the seal. A stream of reddish light swirled around the metal.
“Haa. Haa… How long… do I have to keep doing this…?!”
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead. I didn’t have a small amount of magic, but even after pouring in nearly half of it, nothing seemed to change.
[Just a little more.]
‘Just a little more’? How much longer!
My body trembled, my vision blurred. My magic was running out. At this rate, I felt like I might faint. At that moment—
“Ugh! It hurts!”
My palm, pressed against the seal, stung. It was the first reaction I’d seen. I closed my eyes and endured the pain. I instinctively knew that if I stopped now, everything I’d done so far would be for nothing.
“……!”
The space seemed to ripple. What I held in my hand twisted rapidly. The soft sensation of fur vanished, replaced by something hot and hard. Just as I was about to collapse, someone caught me. Instinctively, I clung to the solid thing supporting me. It was the neck of a man I didn’t know.
“Damn collar.”
His voice was rough, like desert sand. The bite in his words revealed his wild nature. It was nothing like the voice I’d heard in my head, this was more vivid, even electrifying.
“Open your eyes.”
He was still holding me. The heat of his bare skin was almost scorching. Everything about the situation felt abnormal. I had the sense that if I opened my eyes, everything would fall apart. He urged me again, as I remained frozen.
“I did what you wanted, didn’t I? Look closely.”
He growled, almost as if he were mocking my fear. Even in human form, his actions were no different from a beast’s. But I could sense a faint smile beneath it all.
“…I’m not scared.”
My eyelids trembled, but I defiantly opened my eyes wide.
“Not scared, huh.”
A low laugh sounded, and my blurred vision cleared. The corners of his mouth curled up, and his golden eyes shone. His deeply shadowed eyes were sharp, yet captivating. The seal around his neck now looked more like a decadent ornament, adding to his allure.
“Hm.”
The strength left my arms, which had been wrapped around his neck. He let out a soft snort and set me down on the floor. Then, he loomed over me.
“What are you—!”
“I’m not going to kill you right now, so stop flinching.”
I’d just started to feel relieved at being released, only to be embarrassed by how quickly that relief vanished. I hadn’t expected him to climb on top of me.
He said something that was hardly reassuring, then openly observed me. Because of that, my gaze was filled with him as well. His body, free of any excess, was covered in firm muscle. It wasn’t just well-built, it was wild, like a true beast in human form. My eyes naturally drifted downward, lingering around his abdomen.
“M-move!”
I panicked and tried to push Cartel away with all my strength, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he brought his face even closer, as if finding the situation amusing.
“Up close…”
“Ugh!”
His strong fingers brushed my cheek. The look in his eyes as he studied me grew deeper and deeper.
He looked like he might kill me right then and there.
“This is even more interesting.”
He could have hurt me in an instant. But strangely, I didn’t feel afraid. All my nerves were focused on his red lips, so close I could almost touch them. My pale cheeks flushed, and heat pooled deep in my belly. Just as I raised my hands to push him away—
“What’s this?”
He frowned. Below his gaze, a red light flickered. It was the signal from the magic stone hanging around my neck. This necklace was invisible to ordinary people, but it seemed even his powerful eyes couldn’t ignore it. The light meant my father was calling me.
“I have to go.”
I muttered like Pavlov’s dog, my weakened hand pushing against his solid chest. Even though I was much weaker than before, he obediently moved back.
I hurriedly straightened my wrinkled dress and rushed out of the iron bars. When I looked back one last time, he had already returned to his black beast form.
“…I’ll come back. The deal will be then.”
Leaving only those words, I headed for the stairs. I could feel the giant beast’s eyes following my every step.
I hurried up the stairs. My feet moved as if there was a fire, but my mind felt cold as ice.
He, restrained by the seal. Me, forced to run every time my necklace glowed. We were both nothing more than beasts.
Ignoring the bitter taste in my mouth, I walked down the corridor. I barely had time to catch my breath before heading to my father.
“Where do you think you’re going, half-breed?”
Just as I stepped onto the last stair, a grating voice sounded above me.
“…Hoo.”
I sighed before even seeing who it was.
“How dare a half-breed sigh in front of me?”
The man came down, his face twisted in a sneer. Brown hair and blue eyes, he looked just like my father.
Lacus Bennon, the only human child born to the Duke’s family.
“I don’t have time to mess with you.”
Of all times, I had to run into the most annoying person when I was busy. I replied irritably and tried to pass him, but of course, he wouldn’t let me go. He grabbed my shoulder roughly and spun me around.
“I asked you, half-breed. Where are you going?”
Lacus shoved me against the wall. He was more than twice my size, casting a heavy shadow over me. But I wasn’t scared at all, just deeply annoyed by the situation.
“Father called for me.”
I hoped he’d let me go now that I’d answered, but as soon as I mentioned ‘father,’ Lacus’s face twisted with anger.
“Why would father call for someone like you?”
I barely held back a laugh. He was so transparent.
Lacus was the only legitimate child born to my father and the Duchess. But on paper, things were different. The family registry listed my eldest brother, also a half-blood, as the first son, and Lacus as the second.
Noble society always compared the perfect eldest brother to Lacus, the second son. Even within the family, Lacus was at the bottom of the pecking order. My father ranked everyone strictly by ability.
“Do you really not know?”
I didn’t want to waste any more time. Twisting my red-painted lips into a smile, I tapped Lacus’s chest with my fingertip.
“Unlike you, I’m actually useful.”
Leave a Reply