Concerned about the situation in Lunaria, Cassion sought information on the wolf-like beastkin from every available source. He even mobilized the Grand Duke’s private organization to secure the most reliable reports.

The information he gathered was consistent: a wolf beastkin’s heat cycle occurred once a year, typically in winter, and lasted approximately two to three weeks.

This information aligned perfectly with Lunaria’s own memories.

So why was her cycle different?

Could it be an aftereffect of the injuries she had suffered as a child, as he had feared?

“…Hmm.”

Sitting at his desk in the study, he fell into deep thought, then slowly leaned back in his chair. His inability to concentrate was out of character, and his aides immediately took notice.

He was acutely attuned to the slightest shift in atmosphere, so he could not fail to notice their watchful glances.

When he finally lifted his gaze, the first things he saw were the long rows of desks on either side of his own. Then, one by one, he looked at his aides—

—all bearing the same expression.

The instant their eyes met his, they quickly lowered their heads. But Cassion’s displeasure had already surfaced.

He was forced to see the face of someone he despised, even in death, over and over again.

There was no doubt.

This was a curse.

Yet it was a price he was willing to pay.

He endured it without complaint, allowing the faintest hint of a smile to touch his lips as he said.

“Attend to your work.”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Even other men found the Grand Duke’s smile striking. His aides struggled to conceal their flustered reactions. Although they dared not display open devotion, being well aware of the careful distance he always maintained, they were deeply proud to serve him.

If it was intellect, he possessed it in abundance.

If it was martial strength, he surpassed them all.

In every field, the Grand Duke displayed unmistakable genius. This was precisely why, even though he was the Emperor’s son, the Emperor refrained from forcing him into a political marriage, confident that he would choose a suitable spouse in his own time.

Everything about him exuded effortless composure, from his power and wealth to his appearance.

Even his temperament was so refined that it set an example among the aristocracy.

However, there was one flaw in his otherwise perfect image.

He kept a woman of low birth on his estate.

Though to call it a flaw was almost absurd. A man at the very peak of nobility could keep a commoner or a courtesan, and no one would dare to object.

But to his aides, it mattered.

On rare occasions like this, when the Grand Duke failed to focus on his work, it was almost always because of her.

As his aides watched him in quiet concern, Cassion remained lost in thought.

His mind drifted back to the first time he had met Lunaria.

He was fifteen years old and had just been granted the title of Grand Duke when he went out hunting and found her.

One of the hunting hounds had strayed from the pack, drawn by the scent of blood.

It had not found any prey.

It had found her.

At a glance, it was obvious that she was on the brink of death. Yet the moment her fading eyes, dimmed by the last flicker of life, met his, it felt as though lightning had struck the crown of his head.

His father had never truly left him, not even in death. It was only later that he discovered the name of his condition: prosopagnosia. Unable to bring himself to confess his symptoms, even to his doctor, he secretly searched medical texts until he uncovered the truth.

He had never intended to cure it.

Although he despised the thought of seeing his father’s face for the rest of his life, he accepted it as the price of his freedom. If he chose to think of it that way, he could endure it.

And yet, for the first time, he had found a face he could see clearly.

How could he possibly leave her behind?

A child who might become his lifeline.

As if under a spell, he stepped forward and embraced Lunaria. At the time, her condition was beyond words. Her limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, and parts of her flesh had been torn away by something sharp.

She looked so close to death that the phrase ‘a narrow escape’ sprang to mind. Perhaps she had fallen from a cliff. The bite wounds were far more life-threatening than the broken bones.

Even after he had taken her to the Grand Ducal residence, where doctors started to treat her, he didn’t leave her side. This was partly because she had fallen asleep clutching the front of his collar, as though afraid he would disappear.

But the main reason was that he could not take his eyes off her face.

Her small features captivated him. He was amazed that such large eyes, a delicate nose, and soft lips could exist on such a small face. He found himself watching her expression gradually brighten as she recovered.

Above all, he liked the way her gaze softened whenever she looked at him.

Those warm, golden eyes, fixed on him with unquestioning devotion, seemed to fill the empty space in his heart.

Once she had regained her strength, Lunaria grew quickly. She proved to be an excellent student, effortlessly absorbing everything he taught her.

Above all, he cherished the fact that she never lied to him.

Every time she confessed something, even when she knew she might be scolded for it, he found himself revealing more of himself to her than to anyone else, without realizing it.

It was then that he realized how foolish he had been to swear never to trust anyone again.

“It might be that she injured something related to her heat back then.”

Murmuring to himself in a barely audible voice, Cassion resolved to find someone who could treat Beastkin. This would be impossible within the Lumentis Empire, where beastkin were despised. He would have to look to neighboring nations that at least tolerated them.

“…Ivan.”

“Did you call for me, Your Grace?”

The young aide sitting closest to Cassion stood up and walked over to him. With his usual insincere smile in place, Cassion issued his instructions.

“I hear the family’s merchant company is making its circuit tour in the spring. Find out which country it will visit first and which cities it will pass through this year. Submit the information to me.”

“Yes, understood.”

Ivan accepted the order and withdrew swiftly. Only then did Cassion lift the documents he had set aside.

Before long, however, his fears were realized.

An abnormal sign appeared in her heat.

***

The bedchamber lamps were unlit, but the full moon provided enough light to illuminate the room.

Lunaria awoke panting beneath a heat that was no longer unfamiliar.

She pushed aside the question of why her heat had returned after only a month.

A dizzying, overwhelming pleasure surged through her, making her body tremble faintly beneath the sheets.

Having once known the embrace of a heated pillar, her body now seemed to long for it, as though searching for him again.

“Haah…”

Unlike last month, she tried to respond with composure. Following his instructions, she lowered her hand, located her cl*toris through her undergarments and applied pressure.

“Ah!”

The tender flesh, already flushed with heat, swelled almost instantly in response to the brief stimulation. She did not stop, scratching at the sensitive spot with restless fingertips.

“Mm… ngh… ah…”

For a moment, it felt as though the heat melting her mind was easing. But it was far too brief. A climax resulting from clitoral stimulation alone was not enough to quell the relentless, thick heat of her season.

So she slipped her hand beneath her undergarments and rubbed herself directly.

“Ah!”

The sensitive bud yielded easily beneath her hot, damp, trembling fingers. She brushed and circled it, her touch grazing the surrounding skin.

Lunaria struggled to stop her nails from digging in at the height of her arousal. Steadying her thoughts while touching herself was far from easy, but she did not forget what she had been taught.

Nevertheless, she could not bring herself to slide her fingers inside.

If her body reacted this fiercely just from touching that sensitive place, pushing her fingers deeper — just as he had done — might send her into such a frenzy that she would lose control entirely.

Caught in a spiral of helpless frustration, she forced herself upright, fighting to gather her scattered senses.

She could not endure this alone.

She needed to find her mate — the one who could extinguish the blazing heat consuming her.

“Haah… hnn…”

It felt as though boiling tea was coursing through her veins. With each breath, hot, damp air escaped from her lungs. Steadying herself against the wall, she forced her unsteady legs to carry her out of her room, one careful step at a time.

Though hidden beneath her thin negligee, the warmth emanating from her body trailed down her thighs. In her wake, faint droplets marked the floor — scattered traces that she could not conceal.

Climbing the stairs was t*rture. On any other day, she would have leapt up them in a heartbeat, but tonight his chamber felt impossibly far away.

Halfway up, her strength faltered. She pressed herself into a shadowed corner of the landing, out of the reach of the moonlight. Her body trembled as she whispered his name in a small, broken voice.

Just as the darkness around her seemed to shift—

—a door opened above.

Startled, she lifted her head and furrowed her brow, struggling to focus.

Slow and deliberate footsteps echoed.

The figure who appeared around the corner was none other than Cassion.

“Luna, you were on your way to me.”

Although she was almost invisible in the dark, he recognized her immediately. A smile curved his lips as he descended the stairs.

In mere seconds, he was standing before her.

Unable to hide his delight, he swept her up effortlessly in his strong arms.