“This is unexpected, Luna.”

She used to cry like this before she turned fifteen. But he had never seen her break down so openly since.

Having already become flustered several times that day, Cassion quickly pulled her into his arms.

“Sniff… I—I hurt you, Cassion, I—”

“I am not injured.”

“There’s the smell of blood!”

Lunaria cried out, her body trembling.

She did not have the presence of mind to examine his wound properly, but she could smell metal in the air. The realization that she had wounded him — even if only by accident — shattered what little composure she had left.

She stood rigidly in his arms, her hands hovering awkwardly between them. She was too shaken to retract her sharpened nails. All she could think was that she needed to keep her distance, however slight, so that she would not hurt him again.

Instead of letting her pull away, however, he drew her closer, leaving no space between them.

With slow, reassuring movements, he gently patted her slender back.

“This does not even count as an injury. I am perfectly fine.”

“That’s a lie…”

“Do you remember when I went to patrol the border?”

Rather than answering, Lunaria nodded.

Cassion continued, his voice calm.

“The border is a volatile place. Smugglers and bandits are constantly stirring up trouble. Sometimes beastkin even slip in disguised as humans, which makes guarding the border particularly difficult.”

At the word ‘beastkin’, her shoulders tightened slightly. As though he understood her thoughts, he continued stroking her back.

“In the process, I received countless minor cuts. Compared to those, this is nothing at all. So stop crying.”

“But…”

Nevertheless, Lunaria could not accept it so easily. The mere thought of having hurt him — someone who was as important to her as her own world — made her feel unable to breathe.

He was that important to her.

Not just because they were destined to be together.

Cassion cupped her face with one hand and turned her towards him. When she tried to avert her gaze, he steadied her chin and whispered.

“Do you still not know how precious you are to me?”

“…I do.”

“In the Lumentis Empire, you are likely the only beastkin.”

When she heard Cassion’s words, Lunaria pressed her lips tightly together. She could see how determined he was to protect her.

“There are more beastkin than you realize trying to enter the Lumentis Empire. There are many within my own territory of Lucius. But none will enter freely. I am the lord here, and I will not allow it. The only beastkin I recognize is you, Lunaria.”

His fingers brushed lightly past her ear. As he tucked a loose strand of hair behind it, his gentle blue eyes held hers with such tenderness that she could not look away. Her heart pounded so violently that it stole the air from her lungs.

She could not bring herself to confess to this man, who trusted her so completely, that she was not a true Beastkin.

He had become angry when she had hidden the truth about her heat. What would happen if he discovered her real secret?

He might not be able to bear looking at her. He might not want to see her at all. She would be cast out of his estate and left alone, just as she had been when expelled from her pack. She would have to struggle to survive once again.

Being separated from him felt to her like drawing closer to death.

Tears streamed down her face once more, and she could not stop them. Cassion was simply too dominant a presence in her life, and her anxiety kept growing, threatening to consume her entirely.

“Tsk… honestly.”

He clicked his tongue softly and used his finger to wipe away the tears rolling down her pale cheeks. With each thick drop that fell, another broken sob escaped her lips.

For a moment, Cassion was reminded of her during her heat, when she had whimpered beneath him, her body trembling and yielding. The resemblance of her tear-streaked face to that memory made him bite down lightly on his lip.

Shoving the memory aside, he cradled her face in his large hand and murmured almost to himself.

“Your heat should have lasted at least two weeks. Yet it ended after only two days…”

A flicker of unease crossed him. Could something be wrong with her body? He asked again.

“Are you certain of your memory?”

“…I think so.”

She managed to force out an answer, her voice trembling with tears. No matter how shaken she was, she always responded when he asked her a question. This unwavering sincerity made her even more precious to him.

“Hm. Reliable information about beastkin is difficult to obtain, but if the duration varies that much, there must be a reason. Do you remember how often your heat cycle occurred?”

At his question, Lunaria searched through her memories.

When her older sister had entered her heat, she had not been alone. Looking back, she realized that most of the girls around her sister’s age had gone through it at roughly the same time: The males as well.

Sorting through her recollections by season, she replied hesitantly.

“For some reason, many beastkin seemed to enter their heat when winter came. In spring, I mostly remember gathering wild raspberries and other small fruits. I was young, but I could still help with that, so I picked until my fingers were stained red. In summer, we usually roamed the forests hunting for food, and in autumn, we gathered grain in the mountains. That’s how we prepared for winter.”

Cassion listened intently, then murmured.

“It may be that wolf beastkin have a yearly heat cycle.”

“…Ah, that could be true.”

“In that case, it makes sense why the heat period is long. Conception must occur during that time.”

At the word ‘conception’, Lunaria’s cheeks flushed. She had once found herself wondering what it would be like to have his child.

Then she remembered the night they had spent together during her last heat.

Before she could voice her hesitation, he brushed his thumb lightly over her cheek and said.

“You have no need to worry about anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means you’re still young. You shouldn’t have to take on the responsibility of having a child so early. In truth, I’m not even sure that having parents is such a blessing…”

His last words were murmured so softly that they might have gone unnoticed, but she was close by and had acute hearing. The moment confusion flickered across her face, he smoothly changed the subject.

“More importantly.”

He paused briefly, drew in a slow breath, and met her eyes head-on.

“You must not deceive me again, Luna.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“It is possible that something may be wrong with your body. In matters like this, you must tell me everything without omission. Do you understand?”

“Yes….”

Yet the greater secret could never leave her lips. He said he didn’t need any more beastkin, but if he met someone who was truly one of them — not someone who was only half-formed like her — perhaps his heart would change.

At her reply, his brows curved faintly. One rose higher than the other, and the corner of his mouth lifted into an almost mischievous smile.

“An apology alone feels somewhat insufficient.”

“…Then what should I do?”

Previously, the punishments he had given her had been mild, such as copying difficult books by hand or being forbidden from going on her walks.

As she wondered what it would be this time, her nerves tightened. Her eyes flickered anxiously.

Then, without warning, he lifted her as though she weighed nothing. In an instant, she found herself in the same position she had been in just before breaking down in tears.

Startled, she clenched her fists and drew them close to her face. There was a soft rustle of fabric, and cool air brushed against her skin. His palm came to rest against her exposed flesh.

She had felt that heat before — during her heat. When she had taken him inside her and been punished on her hips, it had not been embarrassment alone that had overwhelmed her. Later, a strange tingling had spread, leaving her breathless with an unfamiliar awareness.

Recalling this now, she swallowed and pressed her fist lightly against her lips.

Cassion slowly traced the pale curve revealed before him and began to speak.

“Not only among nobles, but even commoners discipline their children by striking their hips. Shall we see if you can endure ten?”

“……”

Lunaria did not immediately grasp his meaning. Her eyes widened, round with disbelief, rolling helplessly from side to side.

Smack—

The sharp sound echoed as one side burned beneath his palm.

“Ah—!”

He had not struck hard, yet the skin flushed pink at once. As he rubbed the warmed flesh, he spoke again.

“You have endured this before during your heat, haven’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“I will strike with similar force. Do not be afraid.”

“Yes….”

“Then you will call out the number each time, reflecting on how you deceived me. Otherwise, I may lose count—and I intend to stop at precisely ten.”

Her back stiffened with tension. She held her breath, waiting for his hand.

The next strike fell harder upon the opposite side.

Smack—