The wolf-like demonic beast litups guided us to a cave.

Kaien looked around as if this was his first time seeing the place.

“I didn’t know such a place existed.”

The litups, including their leader, just lingered leisurely outside the cave without entering.

“The cave where I found the child back then was similar to this.”

“Let’s go inside.”

I feared losing Kaien’s hand would put him in danger. We matched our walking pace as we entered.

The cave seemed to be a litups hideout, with clumps of fur stuck to the rocks everywhere.

After walking a bit further, we saw a huddled figure. Aaron was sitting inside the cave with his knees drawn up.

When he saw us enter the cave, he jumped up in surprise.

“H-how?”

He quickly checked behind us to see if any demonic beasts were following.

“A-are you alright? You two…… didn’t those creatures attack you?”

He fidgeted anxiously, not knowing what to do, finally looking his actual age.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“The demonic beasts didn’t attack you either.”

Aaron’s clothes had no bloodstains or tears.

“I was—ah!”

Aaron looked at Kaien and stepped back with wide eyes.

“Y-Your Grace……”

“Are you alone? What about the others?”

“I don’t know. ……They’re all dead.”

He shook his head and collapsed to the ground, hiding his face.

When I approached and stepped on a stone, he reacted sharply to even that small sound.

He was wary of us.

“We came to rescue you.”

Aaron looked at me, then Kaien, and then the cave entrance in turn.

His expression, which had momentarily brightened with hope and joy, changed to one of pain.

It was the same expression I had when I was persuading Kaien to enter the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

His young eyes wandered aimlessly before dropping to the floor.

“……I can’t go.”

His words quickly changed.

“No, I won’t go.”

He clenched his fists and glared at us with tear-filled eyes, forcing himself to look strong.

“Why should I go to the grand duchy? People shouted that I was an ill-omened brat who attracts demonic beasts. They hated me, saying I was cursed! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

His angry shouts echoed through the cave.

“Why would I return to a place with such people? I hate it. I’d rather stay here. At least these creatures don’t reject me.”

He changed his expression as if relieved and avoided meeting my eyes.

After pouring out his feelings, Aaron muttered without raising his head.

It was so quiet I could barely hear him unless I strained my ears.

“I…… shouldn’t go.”

Hearing his voice made my eyes burn with tears.

When I looked up at Kaien, he was silently watching Aaron.

“I’ll ask them to let you leave the forest safely. They seem to understand what I say.”

Aaron muttered in a dry voice. He still couldn’t raise his head, like a criminal.

“You’re kind.”

“What?”

Aaron’s eyes, which snapped up, were brimming with tears about to fall.

I stroked his head.

“You’re kind. You’re refusing to return because you’re worried about people?”

“W-what nonsense? Didn’t you hear me? I refuse to go to the grand duchy where people bully me! I don’t want to go!”

“But there are people who worry about you. Master Roland thought you were dead and cried out in grief at the banquet.”

“……Master Roland?”

His wet eyes trembled.

“Let’s go back. He’ll be overjoyed to see you safe.”

The tears Aaron had been holding back streamed down his cheeks.

“I can’t. Master Roland will be unhappy with me around. That’s probably why my parents abandoned me.”

He clutched his clothes tightly and shook his head.

The gesture seemed like he was actually begging us to take him away.

“……I’m ill-omened. It’s dangerous to be with me.”

As if saying, please help me.

“Shut up.”

Kaien hoisted Aaron onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

He let go of my hand briefly, but after shouldering the boy, he took it again and left the cave.

“We’re returning to the duchy.”

“No! I said I won’t go!”

“Save those words for Roland. Look him straight in the eye when you say it, and if you crawl back to this forest on your own feet, I won’t come to rescue you next time.”

“D-do you think I can’t? I can say that to a hypocrite’s face anytime! You might think the grand duchy is a good place to live, but people threw stones at me, cursed me, and kicked me! They accused me of stealing and took the money I collected even though I didn’t touch anything!”

“Fine, leave if you can’t bear it.”

At Kaien’s firm words, Aaron, who had been struggling and shouting, suddenly stopped.

As we emerged outside, the litups tilted their heads and followed behind us.

“Stand up to them and fight back. If they throw stones, you throw them back. If you still can’t bear it after that, then leave. I’ll allow it.”

Huh—Aaron swallowed his sobs.

His face was soaked with tears as he bit his lip, trying to hold back his crying.

“I’m ill-omened.”

“Ah yes, everyone whispered that I was cursed too.”

“M-my parents abandoned me!”

“Mine too.”

“At least you had money and a place to stay! You had people on your side!”

“There were many who tried to kill me. Even now, assassins sneak in from time to time.”

“I……”

Aaron’s tears fell onto Kaien’s back with heavy drops.

His suppressed crying finally burst forth, echoing through the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

Like a newborn’s first cry, his pain-filled sobs resembled intense joy.

“I don’t want to hear more about how unfortunate you are, so tell that to Roland. He’ll listen to you.”

Kaien gripped my hand firmly again.

We retraced our steps along the path marked by our footprints and those of the litups in the snow-white ground.

“If you truly hated people, you would have left the grand duchy long ago.”

“Ugh…… W-who says I didn’t want to leave? Do you know how hard it is for a child like me to live alone in a place with no one?”

“Then were you alright in the grand duchy? It was a strange place for you when we rescued you and brought you there too.”

“……There were people who helped me…… Master Roland, Mrs. Moson, Uncle Kyle, even that stupid Hudson……”

His sobbing voice listed each name.

Fortunately, Aaron had quite a few people who helped him.

“They all helped me.”

In the distance, we could see a campfire.

Some knights had stayed behind, waiting for us.

When they saw us, they started to approach but stopped in surprise.

Kaien set Aaron down.

“Now stand on your own.”

He looked down at Aaron, who was wiping his tears, and spoke coldly.

Kaien’s words carried firm strength.

“Walk back on your own feet.”

“Okay.”

“How impertinent. I am the Grand Duke.”

“Oh, I got it, Your Grace.”

When I beckoned Aaron to come to me, he took my hand—the one Kaien wasn’t holding.

I wondered if this was what it would feel like to have a child with Kaien.

I put my hat on the child whose tears had frozen, and he looked up at me with a smile. Seeing his face, I wondered what it would be like when we had a child.

A cute little girl who would someday resemble Kaien and me.

‘A girl? I don’t mind whether it’s a son or daughter.’

The three of us walked forward side by side.

The litups followed us only as far as where they had first revealed themselves.

With the knights’ guidance, we went behind the palisade to secure safety, and I put my bracelet back on.

The litups shuddered in surprise, staring intently at me and Aaron.

Soon they growled warily at me before running back into the forest without hesitation.

The leader remained until the end.

Even though I had put on my bracelet and my otherworldly power could no longer be felt, the leader litups quietly watched me. Then it slowly entered the forest.

“Let’s go back.”

Though there were no more demonic beasts and I was wearing my bracelet, Kaien took my hand again.

“Next year, let’s explore slowly. Just the two of us.”

“Yes.”

One part of the sky was faintly brightening.

When we returned to the cabin with the knights, the remaining people had lit bright fires and were waiting for us.

Love approached with reddened eyes and embraced me tightly.

After traveling by carriage all day and walking through snow all night, fatigue overwhelmed me when we reached the cabin.

We spent the night there, warming my frozen body in Kaien’s embrace.

We had planned to leave after a short rest, but since we would have to camp along the way anyway, we decided to rest for a day and depart in the morning.

“My body is frozen.”

Despite wearing fur winter clothes, we had walked through the cold forest for hours. Kaien sat me on the bed, removed my outer garments, and wrapped a large fur around my body.

My body must have been quite cold, as my face stung when we entered the cabin.

As Kaien was removing my fur boots, Love set down a steaming basin of water beside us.

“I’ve brought hot water.”

“Thank you. Go rest.”

“Yes.”

Kaien soaked a towel in hot water, wrung it out, and covered my face with it.

I couldn’t help but sigh.

“That feels good…… Let me do it. Kaien should wipe himself too.”

“I’m used to this kind of thing, so I’m fine.”

As I tried to take the towel from him, Kaien rubbed my face and neck. He soaked the towel in hot water again, massaged my frozen hands to warm them, then knelt on the floor and removed my stockings to rub my feet.

“Kaien……”

Heat rushed to my face.

He had touched my feet in the bathtub before, but now it was after a long walk. I tried to pull my feet away in embarrassment, but he wouldn’t let go.

Kaien removed his upper garments and quickly wiped his face and body with another damp towel. Then he set aside the fur wrap that was covering me and undressed me.

In an instant, I was n*ked. He laid me on the bed, spread the fur behind his back, and came down over me.

“In cold places, we warm our bodies with each other’s heat.”

His chest touched my back.

His hands embraced me, caressing my br*asts, and his lips touched the nape of my neck.

“Have you done this before?”

“Why would I?”

Along with his incredulous response, he made a low sound in his throat and continued.

“Come to think of it, there was a redhead. But I was young then, and we were clothed.”

I laughed at his sulky explanation.

As I laughed so hard my shoulders shook, he began to knead my br*asts gently.

Kaien’s lips moved up to bite my earlobe. His hand, which had been wrapped around my lower abdomen, moved downward. His fingertips touched inside as he covered the rough mound.

“K-Kaien!”

Though it was a small room in the cabin, tents had been pitched outside against the wall. The wind came through the sparse walls.

I covered my mouth with the back of my hand to prevent m*ans from escaping and grabbed his wrist, but his fingers pushed even deeper inside.

“Ah……”

His cool fingers entered, spreading apart the petal-like flesh.

“Your body is still frozen.”

“Ah, hnn, hah……”

Despite covering my mouth, m*ans escaped.

Kaien sucked on my still-cold earlobe while pushing his fingers deeper inside. The coolness actually made my body hotter.

He sucked my ear greedily while moving inside. His knee came between my legs, and his thick hardness pressed against my buttocks.

“Kaien, Kaien……”

Heat spread to my toes, making them curl. His hand began to move, and the calluses on his palm stimulated my cl*toris.

Wet sounds began as moisture gathered.

“Hnng……”

I wanted to touch him too.

Just as he was warming my body, I wanted to make Kaien hot.

I reached down and covered his manhood that was pressing against my buttocks.

“Ah!”

Kaien’s arm tensed as he thr*st deeper inside me, making me cry out in pleasure.

As I gasped from the pleasure that heated my head, his breath against my ear grew rough.

“Don’t.”

Kaien warned with a rumble in his throat. His hand withdrew from inside me, took my hand, and brought it forward.

Covering my hand with his, he returned to his position and entered me deeper.

“Hnn, Kaien……”

“I appreciate the thought, but it’s dangerous to excite me here.”

“Hnng, ah……”

His fingers began to probe and thr*st inside me. My hand was caught between, with my palm rubbing against my cl*toris.

It felt like m*sturbation, but the pleasure was beyond my control.

Hot breath escaped from under the fur.

“Kaien, ah, ahh……”

“I’m right here.”

His voice reassured me.

Inside the fur, it was hot with our combined heat, and warmth returned to my once-cold toes.

His hand moved faster and faster, sending tremors from my spine to the crown of my head.

“Ahhh……”

My body melted in the heat that warmed me deliciously to my core.

My consciousness gradually faded.

Overcome by drowsiness, I fell asleep in Kaien’s arms.

“Sleep well, Ivy.”

Reassured by his voice, I entrusted myself to him.

That night, no demonic beasts appeared.

In the morning, we departed for the grand duchy.

I thought about telling them about my strange power if they asked, but everyone kept their mouths shut.

“They’re trying to protect you.”

Kaien, sitting across from me in the carriage, provided the answer.

Suddenly my cheeks felt hot. When I touched them, my hand became soaked with tears. Alarmed, Kaien embraced me and sat me on his lap.

“Are you in pain somewhere?”

He placed his hand on my forehead to check for fever and also touched my neck with his palm.

“I’m crying because I’m grateful, because I’m touched. I’m fine.”

Though I said I was fine, my stomach churned inconsiderately.

I had been fine on the way to the grand duchy, but the carriage sickness was particularly severe when traveling to and from the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

“Ugh!”

“Ivy? I’ll stop the carriage.”

When I covered my mouth and swallowed a groan, Kaien reached for the carriage cord.

“No, we need to hurry. They’ll be closing the gates to the city soon.”

“We still have another day.”

I thought of the people waiting for us in the grand duchy.

“Everyone will be very worried.”

I smiled at him and leaned against his chest. His solid chest and thick arms held me.

“I’m fine when you hold me.”

“Ivy.”

Kaien leaned me against the carriage so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

When we arrived at the grand duchy while I was dozing, an unexpected guest had arrived.