Breeding Instinct - Chapter 3: Sanghyeon (3)

Still, he had no intention of scolding her for something so trivial. His anger came from something else entirely. What infuriated him was that when a problem arose, she tried to hide it from him.

“Wrong.”

“…Huh?”

“That’s not what you did wrong, Kanna.”

Lifting his own steak plate, Damian let it fall to the floor. The dish shattered with a loud crash, and the steak bounced off the wall before hitting the floor.

At this second strange act, the restaurant staff froze in terror, barely daring to breathe. It was clear something was wrong with the food. But no one could figure out who had the audacity to mess with the master’s meal right in front of him.

In the meantime, Landon returned with a fresh bowl of soup from the kitchen. He set it down in front of Kanna, steam rising gently from the surface. Bowing deeply, he apologized.

“My deepest apologies, young lady. It appears there was a mistake in the kitchen. This time, I personally checked everything to ensure it’s safe. Please enjoy it with peace of mind.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Kanna quickly glanced at Damian, responding as fast as she could. Her only hope was that he wouldn’t be angry anymore. Determined to show him she could eat it happily, she reached for her spoon—only for the soup to vanish right before her eyes.

She blinked in confusion as Damian, without a word, grabbed the new bowl of soup and smashed it to the floor once again.

For a brief moment, silence filled the dining room. Even Landon, usually calm and collected, was at a complete loss for words.

Damian rose from his seat in one smooth, deliberate motion. Hands in his pockets, he stood with a slouched but menacing posture, his sharp gaze fixed on the direction of the kitchen. Slowly, he pulled one hand from his pocket and extended it toward Kanna.

Without thinking, she reached out and took his hand.

“Landon, prepare the carriage. Immediately.”

“Yes, Master.”

“And you have a few days to find a new head chef.”

“…Understood.”

Damian had no intention of letting the chef off with something as simple as termination. But the first step was getting him out of his estate.

The audacity—to try something so petty against his woman in his domain.

This was new territory for Damian, but this time, he had no intention of suppressing his instincts.

Once the chef was out of his house, Damian would turn him into prey. And he would take his time hunting him down.

* * *

As soon as they left the restaurant, Damian and Kanna climbed into the carriage and set off immediately. Kanna sat close beside him, her hand firmly held in his. Damian stared out the window, lost in thought, his expression unreadable.

Kanna tried to figure out what she had done wrong. Aside from the answer she had given earlier, nothing else came to mind. Anxiously, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Normally, he would have noticed her gaze and said something first, but now he remained silent, his attention fixed on the passing scenery.

It felt strange, and a little painful.

That was when Kanna realized what she was feeling—disappointment. She bit down gently on her lower lip. She had already received so much from him. It seemed selfish to feel hurt just because he wasn’t giving her his full attention for a moment.

Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice.

“Kanna.”

Startled, she lifted her head. Their eyes locked—his golden eyes cold and sharp, watching her intently.

“Remember this well.”

“Y-Yes…”

“You are never to hide anything from me.”

“…Understood.”

“If you ever lie to me again, even once…”

Kanna’s eyes widened as she finally realized what he was referring to.

“It won’t end with a spanking. This time, I’ll spank your vagina.”

“…Yes, Master.”

“Then I’m going to smear a lot of ointment on your red, swollen pussy and make you keep your legs apart all day. When the maids come in to clean your bedroom, you’ll show them your pussy, and Marie will see it too, and if you like it, you can lie there one more time.”

His words made Kanna’s body tremble. Just the thought of it was too humiliating—something she never wanted to experience. Thick tears welled up in her eyes, and she responded in a trembling voice.

“I-I’m sorry… I won’t do it again…”

As she instinctively tried to lower her head, a large hand grasped her chin and lifted her face. Holding her firmly in place, he fixed her with a terrifying gaze.

“I told you to look me in the eyes when you answer.”

“Y-Yes…”

Overcome with fear and sorrow, Kanna’s tears streamed down her cheeks. Even though her vision blurred with tears, she struggled to follow his command.

“Always remember this, Kanna.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Your place is by my side. Everything I own is within your domain. Do you understand what that means?”

She tried to nod, but since his hand was holding her chin, she couldn’t. So instead, she answered out loud. Her trembling voice, like the bleat of a goat, was embarrassing, but she had already shown him far greater vulnerability, so she had no hesitation in complying.

“My home is wherever my master is… I like my home now, Master.”

“Yes, your home is me from now on.”

Hearing her obedient response, Damian felt his previously sour mood lift considerably. He chuckled, amused at himself. How could such simple words make his heart race like this?

He decided to wait patiently until Kanna, whom he had chosen as his mate, was fully immersed in him—until she became completely accustomed to him, enough that they could communicate without words.

He wanted her to become his perfect companion.

“The Rotten Hotel belongs to me. So, this is your territory, too.”

When the carriage came to a stop, Damian whispered swiftly before getting up. Kanna, holding both of his hands tightly, followed him out with a trembling expression.

As soon as he stepped down, the hotel manager hurried over to greet him.

“Your Grace, welcome.”

“Prepare breakfast in the room.”

“Yes, would you like it set for two?”

“Yes.”

“Does the lady have any food restrictions?”

At the manager’s question, Damian tilted his head slightly and looked at Kanna. She was holding onto his hand and pressing her body close to his, gazing up at him nervously.

“Hmm… she seems omnivorous.”

Recalling what she usually ate, Damian unintentionally used a casual expression that was only meant for their private moments. The manager blinked in confusion, but Damian clicked his tongue lightly and quickly corrected himself.

“She doesn’t have any particular restrictions, but she likes potato soup with plenty of bacon. Bring veal steak with cranberry-apple sauce instead of wine sauce. As for drinks, fruit juice will be best. Ah, come to think of it, she doesn’t eat much in the way of vegetables.”

When he finished speaking, he glanced down at Kanna. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled brightly. Remembering how she always pushed carrots and bell peppers to the side of her plate, Damian couldn’t help but smile back. Seeing their interaction, the manager was momentarily unable to hide his surprise.

It wasn’t just the manager—other nobles in the hotel lobby also whispered among themselves when they saw Damian and the woman known as the “Pink Rose.”

Many were startled by her striking beauty. Among them, several nobles who had attended the slave auction immediately recognized that the infamous “Bidder Number 1” had been none other than Duke Lois himself.

Even after the two disappeared into their room, the lobby remained abuzz with excitement. Unable to contain their urge to brag about what they had seen, several nobles rushed out of the hotel.

Soon after, a fresh rumor spread throughout the capital of the Cephal Empire.

[Duke Royce had purchased a slave at an auction, but she wasn’t a commoner—she was a noble.]

* * *

Crown Prince Heinrich, who had been reviewing documents in his office, paused when his aide spoke.

“What did you just say?”

“There’s a strange rumor going around, Your Highness. It claims that Duke Royce has purchased a slave.”

“Damian? The same Damian who has no interest in people and drives away anyone who approaches him… bought a slave?”

“It’s only a rumor for now, Your Highness,” the aide clarified.

“Hah.”

Heinrich, who thought he knew Damian well enough, was genuinely surprised. While he understood that rumors couldn’t always be trusted, it was baffling that a man as meticulous as Damian could be caught up in such talk in the first place.

“Duke Royce despises slave auctions even more than I do. This must be some petty scheme to slander him.”

“I believe so too, Your Highness. However…”

The aide hesitated, but under Heinrich’s expectant gaze, he had no choice but to continue.

“There’s one more issue. The slave in question is rumored not to be a commoner but a noblewoman, which has caused the story to spread even faster.”

“Ridiculous,” Heinrich said, his expression hardening. “It’s bad enough to enslave a commoner, but a noblewoman? What kind of fool would think that’s possible? The family involved wouldn’t remain silent.”

The aide, intimidated by the prince’s growing anger, stayed silent. He feared that if he pushed further, the teacup on Heinrich’s desk might be hurled at him.

“You look like you’ve got more to say. What is it?” Heinrich pressed.

The aide, deciding it was better to tell him directly than to let him learn from another source, took a deep breath.

“…The noblewoman in question is said to be the second daughter of Baron Maclen. She’s a woman who hasn’t appeared in social circles for years due to an illness.”

Knowing how much the prince despised slave auctions, the aide had conducted a brief investigation. To his shock, he discovered that the rumor was more credible than expected.

“The woman had been ill for a long time, but apparently, Baron Maclen’s eldest son took her and sold her on the black market.”

“What? So, the rumor is true?” Heinrich’s voice dropped with disbelief.

“…Yes. After verifying the facts, it’s almost certain.”

“Let me get this straight. The eldest son of Baron Maclen sold his own sister at a slave auction, and Duke Royce purchased her?”

“I couldn’t confirm that part directly, Your Highness. As you know, Duke Royce is thorough and highly secretive. If I had probed further, he would have noticed immediately. It may be better for you to ask him directly.”

“Hah. This world is truly going to ruin. If I ascend the throne, it may already be too late to save it,” Heinrich muttered bitterly.

He was genuinely shaken. While there was a clear social divide between nobles and commoners, he found it hard to believe that someone like Damian—who had been his peer since childhood—could do something so significant without even mentioning it to him.

“When did this slave auction take place?” Heinrich asked.

“About a month ago,” the aide replied.

“A month ago…?”

If it had been recent, Heinrich might have brushed it off as something Damian hadn’t yet mentioned. But since it had been over a month, it was clear that Damian had deliberately chosen not to tell him.

“Send a letter to the duke’s household immediately!” Heinrich commanded, determined to get answers directly from Damian.

* * *