Breeding Instinct - Chapter 5: Full Moon II (4)

Damian relished these moments when he could unleash his instincts. Since reaching adulthood, every time he had to deal with these kinds of “dirty jobs,” he would let his primal urges run free.

His thighs were taut, muscles straining as if ready to burst. His pupils dilated wide as a predator’s, spurred on by the instinct to hunt. To catch and tear apart his prey.

Moving soundlessly, he sliced off one of the chef’s fingers without warning.

“Aaargh!”

He released him again, only to pivot and take another prisoner’s wrist. Then, returning to the chef, he casually removed another finger. Like a true predator, Damian herded all five captives—including the chef—into a single direction.

By the time they crossed the final point Damian had set, their minds had nearly shattered. They ran purely on instinct, desperate to escape.

Standing atop one of the fleeing prisoners, Damian growled in a low voice.

“Yes… this suits you humans much better—living by your most basic instincts.”

Watching them crawl on their bellies in a desperate attempt to flee, Damian felt satisfied. He knocked them all unconscious without hesitation. Sitting down in front of the fallen chef, he grabbed the man’s hand and plucked out the remaining three fingernails one by one.

“Ugh… ah…”

Unable to even scream properly, the chef lay there trembling as Damian casually sat on his back. Damian lit a cigarette, taking his time. Smoke curled lazily from his lips as he took a few deep drags. After savoring the moment, he gestured to his waiting subordinates.

His subordinates knew how dangerous Damian’s aura could become after a hunt like this. It was so overwhelming that they often wondered if he was even human. The bloodlust emanating from him was terrifying.

Without a word, the subordinates hoisted the unconscious slave auction ringleaders onto their backs and quietly left the scene. Once they had cleared out, Damian slung the chef over his shoulder and took off at an incredible speed.

He raced up building walls and across rooftops with inhuman swiftness. When he reached the front of the chef’s house, he dumped the man unceremoniously onto the ground. Flicking the cigarette onto the chef’s body, Damian ground it out under his heel.

He hadn’t fully vented his frustration, but he wasn’t ready to kill him just yet. Not cleanly, at least. After a brief pause, he disappeared into the darkness, sprinting toward the rendezvous point with his subordinates. As he ran, Damian recalled something he hadn’t mentioned to Heinrich.

It was true that he dreamed of building a sanctuary for their kin one day. But there was another reason he aimed for the position of Grand Duke, seeking to establish a duchy for his descendants.

He muttered in a low voice, almost to himself.

“Sorry, Heinrich, but no matter how I think about it… we’ll always be superior to humans.”

Someday, he thought, his descendants might swallow Heinrich’s whole. A cold smile spread across Damian’s face as he silently bared his teeth. The moonlight breaking through the clouds illuminated his sharp fangs, which gleamed ominously.

All that was left now was to return to his territory, where his female waited for him. Damian’s lips curled into a wicked grin.

* * *

After Baron Mecklenburg’s visit, news quickly spread throughout the Duke’s estate that Kanna had fiercely driven them out. Many began to see her in a new light after hearing how she had boldly declared that she would even give her life to protect the master of the house.

Since the news originated from Herman, Kanna’s words became slightly exaggerated as the story spread throughout the entire household.

After that, Damian went out almost every day, and even in his absence, Kanna was able to wander around the mansion on her own. As Damian had intended, she began to see the estate as her own territory, even developing a sense of responsibility for it.

She was unaware that this was an instinctive behavior typical of territorial animals. Damian, however, watched her patrol the mansion with great satisfaction, recognizing her growing attachment to the space.

Still, there were some changes that displeased him.

Preparing to go out, Damian narrowed his eyes at the sight of flower vases lined up throughout his room, filled with various flowers. Sensing his gaze, Landon spoke up with a pleased expression.

“These days, the young lady is treated like a hero around the estate. The staff have taken it upon themselves to decorate the rooms with flowers for her.”

“…Are those flowers from the garden?”

“Of course not! The staff wouldn’t dare touch the flowers in the garden. They’ve been buying flowers during their outings, making sure to bring back different varieties each time.”

“Why flowers, though?”

“There’s a rumor that the young lady is interested in exotic flowers.”

“Exotic flowers?”

“Yes! What was it again? Mari mentioned it… ah…”

As Landon trailed off, looking puzzled, Kanna emerged from the bedroom, rubbing her eyes and murmured, “Kanna lilies.”

“Ah, that’s it!”

“Why are you up already?”

Damian, busy preparing for an early departure, stood between the dressing room and the sitting room and asked. Meanwhile, Landon frowned slightly, sensing something strange.

“But was my voice really that loud? Could you hear it all the way in the bedroom?”

Caught off guard, Kanna froze, unable to respond immediately. Damian wished she would become just a bit more brazen, but at the same time, he found this reaction endearingly characteristic of her. He turned to Landon to change the subject.

“Bring me some cold water.”

“Yes, sir.”

Still puzzled, Landon quickly obeyed and left the room. In his absence, Kanna scurried over to Damian and naturally snuggled into his arms. He held her close without hesitation, murmuring in a low voice.

“At times like this, it’s fine to just say something else.”

“…I was just a little surprised.”

“You could’ve said your four ears helped you hear it perfectly.”

“Master…”

Recently, Damian had taken to making jokes like this. But every time he did, Kanna felt a chill rather than amusement. Does he dislike the fact that I’m different from others—that I have animal ears and a tail? The thought filled her mind with anxiety.

But how does he know so much about me?

Even without her saying anything, he seemed to understand exactly the kind of discomfort she experienced due to her differences. When she looked up at him with questioning eyes, their gazes met.

“I don’t think it’s been that long since I called you smart, but now you seem downright foolish.”

He knew exactly what she was thinking. Despite her constantly being around him, bathed in his pheromones every day, she still hadn’t figured out his true identity. He couldn’t tell if she was truly that clueless or just hopelessly innocent.

“I’m sorry for being so clueless…”

“Yes, I’m very much looking forward to when you’ll finally figure it out.”

As they whispered to each other, Landon returned with a glass of water filled with ice. Summer was approaching, and for Damian, summer was the worst season. Not only did his naturally high body temperature make it difficult to endure, but summer also brought his mating season, which made it all the more unbearable.

However, he no longer had to face it alone. Now, he had Kanna.

“This time, it’ll take about three days,” Damian said, drinking the cold water before taking Kanna’s hand. She stared blankly at his throat as he swallowed, watching his Adam’s apple move, until his words startled her.

“T-Three days?”

“I need to visit an estate a little outside the capital.”

“…Does His Highness the Crown Prince not have many retainers?”

“What?”

Damian burst out laughing at her grumpy tone. Being a Grand Duke’s right hand was never easy. Although the Chepell Empire wasn’t engaged in war, there were still plenty of disputes.

There were frequent problems in border regions—whether it was dealing with magical beasts or bandits and pirates raiding civilians. These areas constantly needed assistance.

Even if the emperor’s influence didn’t reach certain parts of the empire, they were still part of the Chepell Empire, so it was only natural for the crown prince to care. In fact, the crown prince—who felt a strong sense of responsibility toward the citizens—often paid more attention to their needs than the emperor himself.

Among the people, there were those eagerly awaiting the day the crown prince would ascend to the throne. As a result, the empire was deeply divided between the emperor’s faction and the noble faction.

Just as Damian’s support was critical to the crown prince, it was equally crucial for the crown prince to rely on Damian.

After Damian finished his preparations, Kanna accompanied him down the slowly brightening hallway. They walked together to the mansion’s entrance, where she stood, watching him with a sad expression as he prepared to leave.

Before mounting his horse, Damian pulled Kanna close and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was deep and unrestrained, as if he intended to devour her. Even though he had indulged in her soft, delicate body the previous night, it was hard for him to let go.

For someone who had always prided himself on his self-control, Damian recently found that control slipping more and more. He gently stroked her hair before lifting her chin so their eyes met.

“Don’t slack off on your studies while I’m gone.”

“…Yes.”

“And when I’m not here, where does your ‘territory’ extend to?”

Kanna didn’t fully understand what he meant by ‘territory,’ but she had a vague sense of it.

“The master’s estate.”

“Exactly. You know it well. It’d also be better if you didn’t accept too many flowers while I’m away.”

“…Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Damian had no doubt that some of the people giving her flowers were men. Landon’s earlier phrasing had been intentional—referring to “employees” rather than specifically mentioning maidservants made it clear.

Damian, who had no intention of sharing even the smallest part of her with anyone else, decided that after this mission, he would take some time off and properly educate Kanna again. With a lingering touch filled with regret, he released her chin and mounted his horse.

“Well then, I’m off. Take good care of my estate while I’m away.”

“Yes, Master,” Kanna responded firmly, her eyes brimming with determination as she gave an enthusiastic nod.

Damian chuckled softly, tightened his grip on the reins, and spurred his horse forward. As she watched him gallop away at full speed, Kanna found herself speaking quietly to Mari, who had quietly approached.

“Mari, I just want to stay in my bedroom today.”

“Then I’ll bring your breakfast to your room,” Mari replied with a warm smile.

“…Okay.”

Just for today, she wanted to remain in the bedroom that still carried his scent. Gazing at his figure in the distance, now barely a speck on the horizon, she whispered softly.

“Come back safely, Master.”

* * *

Count Liffe was feeling a bit flustered. No, quite flustered. It was because the business he had been working on with the Duke of Royce was experiencing delays.

Although he had some suspicions, the count didn’t want to believe them. After all, the issue arose after he had instigated Baron Mecklen and secretly obtained the duke’s schedule to pass along to them.

“…It seems the duke has caught on to what I did.”

He was now regretting that he had underestimated the duke due to his young age. However, in a way, he also felt a sense of relief. If Leonie could successfully seduce the duke, wouldn’t their relationship develop into something even better?

For now, it seemed that the duke had foolishly given his heart to that lowly woman, but the count knew from experience—such things never lasted long. The woman one takes as a lover and the one one takes as a wife were entirely different matters.

“But I can’t just sit back like this.”

On the day he had deliberately sent Leonie to the Royce duchy under the pretense of business, his daughter had returned looking quite dispirited. No doubt, she had encountered exactly what he had feared. A twisted desire to retaliate against the duke arose within the count.

“Good thing I sent that invitation, just in case.”

As a precaution, he had invited a certain individual who had been studying abroad in another country to visit his family.

“They should be arriving today or tomorrow. I asked them to come straight to me upon arrival, so I’ll find out soon.”

Just as Count Liffe finished speaking, the head butler entered his office.

“Count, your guest has arrived. Shall I escort them to the drawing-room?”

“Oh! They’ve arrived sooner than expected!”

“Yes, they are in the lobby now.”

“I should go down right away. This is a very distinguished guest.”

Hearing that the person he had been waiting for had arrived, the count hastily moved his heavy frame downstairs.

Standing neatly in the lobby was Moritz von Royce—Demian’s younger brother.

“Young Duke Royce!”

As the second son, Moritz could not inherit the dukedom, but since the duke had yet to name an heir, Moritz held the title of young duke. And Moritz rather liked that title. Knowing this well, the count greeted him with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Count Liffe, it’s been a while.”