Breeding Instinct - Chapter 2: Crescent Moon (4)

When Landon knocked and the door opened, Damian stood there completely naked. Seeing his master looking somehow refreshed, Landon pressed his lips together in silence. He had thought Damian had lost interest since he had left the bedroom maid alone for some time, but he realized his assumption was wrong.

After washing up, while assisting with his master’s dressing, Landon noticed a hint of pleasure on his otherwise expressionless face. It was unusual, considering that Damian rarely showed his emotions. Landon silently raised his estimation of Kanna.

“Shall I prepare breakfast in the parlor as usual?”

At the butler’s question, Damian paused to think. Last night, he had personally taken Kanna to the bathroom and bathed her after she unexpectedly fell asleep. During the process, he learned that it had been her first experience with physical intimacy.

He had discovered this when he inserted his fingers inside her and removed semen tinged with pink.

Thinking she must be tired yet still wanting to dine with her, he made his decision and responded in a low voice.

“She didn’t even have dinner last night, so it would be best for her to eat and rest again.”

Though the subject wasn’t explicitly mentioned, Landon knew exactly whom he was referring to and gave a respectful bow.

“Understood.”

After the butler left, Damian returned to the bedroom and sat beside the sleeping Kanna. Staring quietly at her face, which was deep in slumber, he released his pheromones.

He used his pheromones to gently nudge her awake—sometimes softly wrapping her in their presence, sometimes poking her—but she didn’t stir.

“…Why isn’t she responding properly to my pheromones?”

He had seen her ears sprout like an animal’s, but her reaction to pheromones seemed strangely delayed, which worried him. Could he have been mistaken about her being one of his kind?

Damian diagnosed his own condition. He called it Suinjeung, a term he created by combining the meaning of “beast” and “human,” to describe the symptoms he experienced.

When he was about nine, he had suffered a sudden fever so severe that his parents believed he would die. His condition was critical, with the fever lasting for over ten days, until one morning it disappeared entirely.

His parents and the household staff were relieved, believing it a blessing, but young and sharp-witted as he was, Damian knew the truth. The boy he had once been was essentially gone.

After that, strange changes started occurring in him. His physical abilities became far superior to those of other children his age. He could run faster than most adults and had strength to match.

His reflexes were so quick that it seemed inhuman. Had he not been the heir to a duke’s household, he figured he might have lived a life similar to Kanna’s.

Fortunately, Damian held an important position and lacked nothing in terms of ability. In fact, his talents were overwhelmingly extraordinary.

He used the ambiguous powers, which were hard to classify as human, to reach dazzling heights in swordsmanship.

There were only a few who knew his secret. One of them was Herman, the current commander of the duke’s knights. He was not only Damian’s mentor but also the only person who truly understood him.

However, not all humans were fools. The more perceptive ones instinctively feared him. Some rejected him outright.

As he grew, Damian came to realize that he could never form deep connections with humans—not just physically but emotionally as well.

So, after experiencing his first mating season, he desperately prayed. He begged to meet someone of his own kind. And if possible, he hoped it would be a female.

“I’ve finally found her…”

But why couldn’t she properly detect his pheromones? It wasn’t that Kanna couldn’t sense them at all. The way she had reacted to his pheromones yesterday, soaking herself in her own fluids, was proof enough.

In fact, she could also release pheromones quite well. The problem was that she seemed more insensitive to her own pheromones than to his.

It was almost as if she was deliberately denying the existence of Suinjeung.

“Mm….”

Lost in thought, Damian must have instinctively sent out a strong wave of pheromones to wake her. At last, she responded, her eyelids slowly lifting.

Her long eyelashes, resembling the soft flutter of butterfly wings, shone with the warm hue of a sunset. Beneath them, her blue eyes—reminiscent not of the clear sky but of a serene, crystal-blue lake—came into view.

“…M-master…”

Her voice cracked as it escaped her throat, and Damian gave her a soft smile.

“Awake now?”

“Yes…”

Kanna slowly sat up, her body wriggling beneath the blanket, only to realize she was completely naked. Her face turned bright red in an instant. As she tried to cover herself with the blanket, Damian grabbed her wrist gently and spoke in a low, commanding voice.

“Do not hide from me. No matter what.”

“…Yes, Master.”

Kanna thought she might die of embarrassment, but she couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing him. Reluctantly, she lowered the blanket. His golden eyes slowly scanned her body. Though his gaze had no physical weight, she felt as if his touch left footprints all over her skin.

A strange sense of euphoria, different from shame, swept over her entire body, making her tremble.

Damian couldn’t take his eyes off her pale, flawless skin, still bearing the marks he had left on her. Though he had indulged himself to his heart’s content just last night, an insatiable thirst surged within him once again.

As Damian’s gaze, filled with desire, lingered on her, Kanna’s body trembled involuntarily. He didn’t stop at simply observing—he reached out and gently pressed her pink nipple, which he hadn’t given much attention to the night before.

“Mm…!”

“As I said yesterday, show everything before me.”

“…Yes.”

“Spread your legs.”

Kanna’s face grew unbearably hot with embarrassment, but she obediently spread her legs slightly while remaining seated, as he had instructed. Suddenly, his large hand reached out, gripping her knee and pushing it upward.

Her body shifted from the force, but she extended her arms to steady herself. The result was that she ended up seated with her legs fully spread, her entire body turning a deep shade of red—not just her face.

“Hmm.”

He knew she was embarrassed but pretended not to notice, enjoying the way her emotions were vividly expressed through her pheromones.

He also had another reason—to check the condition of the vagina he had passionately explored the previous night.

“It’s not swollen,” he murmured, gently parting the labia with his fingers.

“Ahh…”

As two fingers suddenly slipped inside, a soft moan escaped from Kanna’s lips. Carefully, he stroked her inner walls, checking to ensure there were no injuries.

Even after confirming that everything was fine, Damian hesitated to withdraw his fingers, unwilling to leave the warm, clinging sensation inside.

“Master, everything is ready,” came a voice from outside the bedroom at that moment.

Reluctantly, Damian removed his fingers from her, now slick with fluid, and without hesitation, brought them to his lips. Watching him, Kanna trembled with embarrassment.

Thinking she was shivering from the cold, he wrapped her in a blanket before stepping out of the bedroom. He then gave Landon his next instructions.

“Find a boutique that can come as quickly as possible. And bring ready-to-wear women’s clothing with you immediately.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, and bring me one of my shirts.”

“Yes, Master.”

Landon didn’t quite understand why Damian wanted a shirt, but since it was an order, he quickly obeyed. While waiting, Damian removed his jacket and draped it over the sofa. When Landon returned with the shirt, he handed it over, and Damian went back into the bedroom.

The door, which had briefly closed behind him, opened again as Damian gave one final instruction.

“You may leave now.”

“…Yes, please call me if you need anything.”

Landon bowed respectfully and left. Damian listened carefully, waiting until Landon’s footsteps had completely disappeared, then approached Kanna with the shirt in hand.

“You don’t have anything to wear right now, so just cover yourself with this for now.”

He unfolded his shirt and draped it over her shoulders. After hesitating for a moment, Kanna slid her arms into the sleeves. The shirt, far too big for her, reached down past her hips, covering her comfortably.

It was her first time wearing a man’s shirt, and she fumbled a bit with the buttons, feeling awkward.

It was also Damian’s first time dressing someone else in his shirt, and a strange feeling washed over him. It felt odd to see something that fit him perfectly look so oversized on her.

Watching her quietly, he made sure she was fully dressed before turning around and heading to the parlor. Kanna followed hesitantly, her footsteps soft and cautious.

Hearing her small, almost animal-like steps behind him, Damian felt his heart stir unexpectedly.

He had planned to train her thoroughly in the future, but for some reason, he sensed that things wouldn’t go quite as he intended.

* * *

“Hello, I’m Rosabelle, the lead designer at the Penelope Wells Boutique. It’s a pleasure to meet you, young lady,” Rosabelle greeted confidently with a cheerful smile.

Kanna replied in a very small voice, “Ah… yes, nice to meet you…”

She had no idea why this woman had suddenly come to see her. Sitting on the sofa in the duke’s private parlor, Kanna glanced around nervously, while Rosabelle observed her with curious eyes.

Rosabelle was determined to make the most of this opportunity. Having smoothly made her way here, she was certain today would be a successful day.

That morning, Rosabelle had woken up earlier than usual and opened her boutique earlier than other stores to finish some unfinished business from the previous day. As a result, she had the rare chance to meet the steward of the famous Royce Duke household in person—and even managed to sell ten ready-to-wear outfits from her collection.

All thanks to this slim young lady. If she could win her over, the future of her boutique would be bright indeed.

“As you can see,” Landon said, inspecting the clothes he had brought, interrupting Rosabelle’s thoughts. Rosabelle adjusted her expression and turned to him.

“Our young lady is slimmer than most others. I purchased ready-to-wear items in a rush, but apart from what she can wear immediately, it would be better to tailor the rest to fit her properly.”

“I can deliver two altered outfits by this evening, Mr. Steward,” Rosabelle replied.

“Good. Then let’s start by taking her measurements…”

Since Damian was occupied with his work, Landon took the lead in managing the situation. He was about to continue when the sudden sound of the door opening made him quickly turn his head. There was only one person who could enter the duke’s study without knocking.

“Master.”

Damian, who had heard that the boutique had arrived, decided to come personally. At first, he thought it wouldn’t matter if she wore a maid’s uniform. But considering that money and time weren’t an issue, and since she would be staying with him for a while, he thought it unnecessary to settle for something so plain.

Still, he couldn’t tolerate having her wear something that didn’t suit his taste, which was why he decided to get involved directly.

“Master,” Kanna called softly.

She quickly ran toward Damian. In this vast mansion, he was the only one she could trust and rely on. Although he was a stranger she had met only a few days ago, Kanna felt far more comfortable with him than with anyone who looked at her with disdain.

Throughout her life, people had always looked down on her. Damian was the first person who didn’t. He wasn’t particularly kind, but he never treated her existence as something trivial.

Her initial wariness had faded, replaced by trust in him.

Damian glanced indifferently at Kanna, who was dressed in an oversized maid’s uniform, before extending his hand. Standing nearby, she instinctively placed her hand on his.

As if rewarding her, Damian lightly stroked the back of her hand with his other hand and then began walking.

Rosabelle watched the two in silence, noting their graceful escort-like movements. She couldn’t help but smile, convinced that today was her lucky day—a day kissed by the goddess of fortune.

Kanna wearing a maid’s uniform didn’t bother her in the slightest. What mattered most was that this girl had caught the duke’s attention.

“Greetings, Your Grace. I’m Rosabelle Wells, the lead designer at Penelope Wells Boutique.”

“Show me the ready-to-wear clothing first,” Damian said, skipping any formal reply.

Rosabelle swiftly and skillfully laid out the ready-to-wear items.

“I’ve selected pieces with designs and fabrics suitable for spring. These are from our latest collection,” she explained, gesturing to her assistant to display the outfits one by one.

Sitting on the sofa with Kanna beside him, Damian scanned the clothing with a bored expression before pointing at a few pieces.

“Exclude the pink ones.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Only keep the ones that match her hair and eye color.”

“Understood.”

“The one with a touch of blue looks good. Kanna.”

He picked up a blue dress and called her name.

“Yes, Master?”

“Go put that on right away.”

“Yes.”

Kanna, who had been timid until now, quickly stood up and reached for the blue dress.

Rosabelle stepped forward with a bright smile. “If you’ll allow me, I’d love to assist you with the fitting and take your measurements as well.”

“…Master?”

Kanna hesitated, unsure how to respond. She had no experience buying or tailoring clothes since she could remember. Feeling lost, she turned to Damian for help.

Damian didn’t mind her growing reliance on him. Relaxing comfortably against the back of the sofa, he gave a slight nod of approval.