Breeding Instinct - Chapter 5: Full Moon II (1)

After Landon delivered the documents and refreshments, then left, Damian scolded Kanna in a stern voice.

“How many times have I told you to prioritize me above all else in any situation?”

“…I was wrong, Master.”

“I’ve also told you countless times how much I hate repeating myself, haven’t I, Kanna?”

Kanna knew he wasn’t expecting her to answer with an actual number. She bit her lip and lowered her head.

“Come here.”

Damian was sitting with half of his body resting on the edge of his desk. Practically standing, he gestured for her to approach.

Kanna, who had been standing a short distance away, moved until she was right in front of him.

Recently, he had begun giving her intimate commands in the study. Her heart started to race as she realized he intended to do something here—something they usually only did in the bedroom.

“Stick out your tongue.”

At his command, Kanna leaned in and stretched her tongue out as far as she could. Even though Damian was sitting on the desk, there was still a height difference, forcing her to look up at him.

He gently pinched her small tongue between his index and middle fingers, rubbing it lightly. As he did, the exposed tongue quickly began to dry out. Kanna swallowed the saliva pooling in her throat and gripped his jacket tightly.

She tried to endure it, but before she realized it, she instinctively pulled her tongue back in and swallowed again. When she stuck it back out, it was no surprise that a smack landed on her bottom.

“Hngh…”

“If you can’t even keep your tongue out, what will you do?”

“I’m… sorry…”

Trying to respond with her tongue still out, Kanna could only speak in a muffled voice. Damian’s initially stern expression wavered at her unclear response. He disguised his chuckle with a sigh and issued a cold command.

“Keep your tongue properly out.”

“Y-yes…”

He wrapped an arm around her slender waist and pulled her up slightly, making her lean against him. He extended his tongue, tangling it with hers outside her lips. Like two snakes entwined during mating, their tongues moved messily. He deliberately let his saliva flow into her mouth.

Just watching the sticky saliva trail down her small tongue gave him a strange sense of conquest. Damian was discovering new depths of his twisted desires toward Kanna every day. A burning desire to completely dominate her and paint her in his own color consumed him.

He kneaded her plump bottom over her dress while continuing to tangle their tongues, deliberately letting more saliva flow into her mouth. It felt as though his pheromones were subtly blending with hers. Pleased by this sensation, Damian kept going until the tea had long gone cold in his study.

Before long, the air in the room was thick with not only his pheromones but Kanna’s as well. Having fulfilled his goal, Damian pressed his lips fully against hers, ravaging the soft flesh inside her mouth without restraint.

A lewd, wet sound echoed as Damian tried to push his tongue deeper into her throat. But when he saw Kanna’s completely dazed expression, he finally pulled his lips away. He rubbed her saliva-soaked lips with his thumb and whispered softly.

“Hm, I can’t send you off like this. Shall we have some tea?”

“…Yes.”

When Kanna responded, Damian gently scooped her up in his arms. She naturally wrapped her arms around his neck, a gesture that made him gaze at her affectionately. Holding her close, he sat down on the sofa with her still in his arms.

“Master…”

“Yes. So, where did you go today?”

“The piano room at the far end of the first floor, and…”

Seated on his thigh, Kanna rested her cheek against his neck as she spoke, nuzzling him like a child seeking affection. She had no idea what her behavior truly meant, but Damian did.

This was something Damian had figured out on his own, and he was almost certain of it. Those like them, who suffered from beast syndrome, had pheromones—distinct pheromones that were strongest in three places: the mouth, the neck, and the genitals.

Recently, Kanna’s pheromones often carried traces of his own. Unlike him, who marked her with pheromones through kisses and more intimate acts, Kanna’s attempts to mark him by nuzzling her neck against his were endearing. Finding her behavior amusing, Damian chuckled softly.

Kanna snuggled deeper into his embrace as he fed her spoonfuls of fresh cream cake. Gradually, the image of the beautiful woman she had seen earlier started to fade from her mind.

Lately, everything Kanna did had made her happy, but now a faint unease began to creep in. Her heart raced with anxiety, and the thought of being separated from him filled her with dread. Not ready to let go of him yet, she clung even tighter to his neck.

* * *

After hearing the rumors about the Duke of Royce far too late, Baron Nils Mecklenburg mercilessly slapped his son, Philip, across the face.

“You idiot! What on earth have you done?”

In truth, he hadn’t even realized that Kanna was missing. Philip, who had known all along, brazenly responded without a hint of remorse.

“She’s better off there than staying here and getting beaten all the time, isn’t she? She got lucky, too. Imagine being sold to none other than the Duke of Royce.”

“Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

“Well, you didn’t want her around either, did you, Father? All I did was make a decision that no one else was willing to make.”

“Thanks to you, our family name is on everyone’s lips! What kind of decision are you talking about, you fool?”

Seeing Philip’s unrepentant attitude, Nils raised his hand again, only to let out a deep sigh and collapse onto the sofa. He had no way of knowing how far these rumors had spread. If the Crown Prince found out, it would be a disaster.

“Do you have any idea how much His Highness despises the black market? If word of this reaches him, our family is finished.”

“Well… I didn’t think it would blow up like this. I figured it would be kept under wraps since she was bought as a slave from the black market. But honestly, what was the Duke thinking, bringing her out in public?”

Philip couldn’t understand Damian at all. Why had he bought a girl like her? And worse, why would he take her to a prestigious hotel, where many nobles could see her?

“By the way, isn’t the Rothen Hotel super expensive? I heard that most of the nobles staying there are from families ranked above a count. We should go there too sometime, Father.”

“You fool! You still haven’t learned a thing!”

Unable to tolerate Philip’s nonsense any longer, Nils grabbed whatever was closest and hurled it. The teacup shattered with a loud crash, prompting Paula, who had been outside the study, to rush in.

“Dear, stop it!”

She stepped between Nils and Philip, trying to protect her son from his father’s wrath.

“What did Philip do wrong? It’s that foolish Kanna’s fault for not clearing up the rumors for the sake of the family!”

“She’s right, Dad,” added Lily, who entered right behind her mother.

Paula recalled her recent conversation with the Countess of Liffé, who mentioned how much the Duke of Royce seemed to cherish Kanna. The countess had sarcastically remarked that despite having such a valuable daughter, the Mecklenburgs hadn’t received any compensation.

“He really must adore her,” she had said. “I heard the head chef was fired just because Kanna said the food wasn’t to her liking. Unbelievable.”

The mere thought made Paula seethe with rage. Her voice turned venomous as she cursed Kanna.

“If she’s living so well in the Duke’s household, the least she could do is contact her family and show us some gratitude! How can she be so selfish, enjoying a comfortable life on her own? She needs to be disciplined and taught how much her family sacrificed for her!”

Paula hadn’t forgotten the humiliation she had recently suffered at the hands of the Countess of Liffé. It had been the most shameful moment of her life. Determined to get even, she urged her husband.

“You should go and meet the Duke. Since he cares for her so much, he might offer something for her family. Don’t you think?”

Nils’s eyes gleamed as he struggled to suppress his rage.

“…That does make sense.”

“Ah, your impatience is always the problem. Think about it—this could actually be a great opportunity for our family. It’s not just any noble house. We’re talking about the Duke of Royce!”

Paula, noticing that her husband’s anger had subsided a little, leaned in and whispered. When she heard rumors that the latest luxury dresses from high-end boutiques were being delivered daily to the Duke’s mansion, she wasn’t just envious—she was furious.

They had raised Kanna through hardship, yet she seemed to have completely forgotten her parents. Paula couldn’t help but feel betrayed by her daughter’s selfishness.

“Kanna has always only cared about herself. She caused trouble as a child, and who would’ve thought she’d still be the same as an adult?”

“She needs to be properly disciplined.”

“It’s not too late. You should visit the Duke of Royce in person. Kanna always listens to you, doesn’t she?”

“She’s right, Dad.”

Nils, swayed by his wife and daughter’s persuasion, hesitated at first. But Philip’s final comment made up his mind.

“Ah, Father, you’re so slow. Even though she was sold as a slave, she’s still officially registered in our family’s records! I didn’t mess with that, at least.”

As if Philip’s words had lit a signal flare, Nils, Paula, and Lily’s eyes all gleamed with greed.

* * *

“Are you going out again today?”

Kanna asked Damian timidly as he ate, dressed in his formal attire. Lately, Damian had been going out frequently, and she felt sad about the reduced time they spent together.

“His Highness, the Crown Prince, has assigned me a task. I can’t avoid it.”

Damian gave her a truthful answer, though not the full truth.

He had made a certain deal with the Crown Prince—handling matters Heinrich couldn’t deal with directly in exchange for things Damian needed. One of the most urgent issues was Kanna’s family registry.

A wedding could wait, but the fact that her name was still registered under the Mecklenburg family was problematic. The family hadn’t taken any action yet, but it wouldn’t be long before they tried something.

“Hmm, maybe it’d be simpler just to kill them all.”

Damian muttered briefly. Kanna, standing nearby, was the only one who clearly heard him. Rather than wondering who he was talking about, her mind focused on something else.

“…Master, you mustn’t get hurt.”

“Such unnecessary worrying,” he said, sounding curt.

But Kanna, who had recently learned how to sense his emotions through his body scent, knew that he was secretly pleased by her concern.

She spooned her meat stew while stealing glances at him. Damian ate steak at every meal, and it was always enormous. He preferred it rare, to the point where the meat still bled slightly, and he consumed large portions with elegance and speed.

“How’s the taste?”

“It’s delicious!”

The meat stew made by the newly appointed chef was rich with a fresh tomato flavor. Recently, Kanna had been eating it every day.

“Hmm, Landon.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Make sure the new chef settles in quickly. Don’t hesitate to provide financial support if needed.”

“Understood.”

Landon felt relieved that the new chef had managed to satisfy both the Master and Kanna.