DSB 33

“Worry about yourself first.”

“I’m fine…”

Fine?

Lebel extended his hand toward the demonic energy that was gradually fading from Yutis’s form, and the priest had poured so much holy power into him that his face turned deathly pale. As a result, the wounds had mostly healed by now.

However, in exchange, the demonic energy had diminished significantly.

Yutis had originally possessed a vast amount of demonic energy, and if that energy disappeared entirely, it would not lead to a particularly good outcome for him.

After all, Lebel himself was currently feeling weak and frail precisely because he lacked demonic energy.

The Hestro bloodline all possessed bodies capable of harboring demonic energy, and he had just witnessed how they could unleash tremendous power by using it.

“You, stop that now.”

“…Pardon? Me?”

“Yes, you. This is sufficient.”

Lebel brushed aside the priest’s hand and extended his own toward Yutis, approaching close enough that their faces nearly touched.

If the demonic energy had been depleted by the holy power, then Lebel could simply replenish it for him.

Physical contact was an essential condition for transferring demonic energy, so Lebel tapped Yutis’s cheek with his fingers while channeling the energy into him.

“Wife…?”

“Stay still.”

He did not possess an abundance of demonic energy himself, but it seemed far more necessary for Yutis than for him.

Yet, something strange began to happen.

The demonic energy, which had been flickering like a campfire on the verge of dying out, suddenly surged up in an instant. Not only the energy Lebel was providing, but also the demonic energy embedded in his soul seemed to be drawing in and devouring more on its own, consuming it greedily.

It was greedily taking in energy that Lebel had not even intended to offer.

Lebel’s eyebrow twitched. He thought it might be a bit dangerous, but he wondered just how starved it must have been to behave this way, so he decided to observe for the moment.

Lebel impressed upon Yutis’s mind the clear understanding that his body really needed demonic energy. Although Lebel was transferring it effectively, Yutis suddenly pushed him away.

Lebel looked up at him in disbelief.

The man who had been so weak that he had collapsed to his knees was now creating distance between them. Lebel’s hand, left hanging in the air without a place to go, groped at empty space.

“Th-that… I-I… um…”

Lebel watched as Yutis stammered, unable to string together a proper sentence. The demonic energy had indeed increased, but his condition appeared to have gone awry in a different way.

The energy burned fiercely as if it had never been on the brink of extinguishing. At the sight of it undulating as though it were burning itself from within, Lebel’s brow furrowed.

“Wha, what did you… do to me…?”

“That is exactly what I want to ask you. What are you doing?”

“N-No, I didn’t do anything… No, that’s not it. Please stay away.”

As Lebel approached Yutis to examine his state more closely, Yutis waved his hands frantically to ward him off.

Lebel did not stop. At that moment, the priest stepped in to block him.

“You cannot. You must not approach him!”

“Why not?”

“The young master right now…! He has entered his rut cycle.”

Lebel, who had been on the verge of growing angry, froze in stunned disbelief upon hearing the word “rut.”

“Rut…?”

The unexpected statement caused Lebel to tilt his head in confusion.

Why would that come up all of a sudden?

“Young madam, hurry and suppress your pheromones!”

He was already confused by the sudden mention of a rut, and now the priest was even telling him to deal with his own pheromones.

“…Please take care of my wife.”

Leaving Lebel confused in the midst of this bewildering situation, Yutis mounted a nearby horse and vanished into the distance.

He moved so quickly that there was no chance to grab him. Lebel stared at the swirling dust he left behind and let out a sigh.

“He ran away…?”

Lebel’s mouth hung open at the sight of Yutis disappearing, but the priest wiped away his cold sweat and murmured that it was fortunate.

“What is fortunate about any of this?”

Lebel asked in irritation.

That fool had left without even checking on his own body, acting so recklessly.

Moreover, a rut? Hadn’t he been the one who needed Lebel during his rut? And yet he had left him behind here? As his husband?

“Th-the young madam must already know this, but you must not approach him during his rut. The young master’s pheromones… are quite potent, so they would place a heavy burden on the young madam’s body.”

The priest looked around quickly. Several people with secondary genders who had been affected by Yutis’s pheromones were complaining of discomfort.

“It seems the young madam’s pheromones likely acted as a trigger. But why did this happen so suddenly? I had heard that you did not have any pheromones.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“…You were unaware of it?”

In the first place, Lebel had not known that Yutis’s rut had arrived, nor that he himself was emitting pheromones.

He had noticed that the scent he always caught from Yutis was particularly intense, but he had never had the leisure to pay it any mind.

“Would you come with me to the temple for a moment? I will prepare some medicine for you. Since his rut has come, he will need stronger suppressants. It would be best to take plenty with you, just in case.”

Lebel only half-understood the priest’s words. He had no idea when he had supposedly released pheromones, but he understood that the medicine Yutis had been taking was a suppressant for his rut, and that Yutis was currently in the midst of one.

“Reinforcements will arrive soon as well. You can return to the castle with them.”

“I do not see why I should go to that temple with you.”

“…Pardon?”

Lebel recalled Yutis’s words.

There is no rule that says we must spend the rut together. If Your Highness does not wish it, I will not touch you.

Was he afraid of turning into a monster? As a demon, the very word “monster” did not resonate with Lebel at all.

Lebel let out a sigh at Yutis’s foolishness, then suddenly remembered the trigger for his rut and realized something.

The one called a monster because of his demonic bloodline.

“Ah, so that is how it happened.”

What if the strengthening of his demonic power caused him to transform into a monster? What if the demonic energy and pheromones were interconnected? What if, as he drew in the dormant demonic energy from deep within, the pheromones had surged forth alongside it?

Lebel approached Shati. Shati was in the middle of dragging the demonic beast that Yutis had slain, pulling it along with it teeth.

“Shati.”

“Young madam, that demonic beast only obeys the young master’s commands. It is dangerous to approach it carelessly, so please come with me…”

Lebel ignored him and hooked his finger toward Shati.

It was so urgent that he refused to take Shati and ride a horse instead?

[Come here and kneel down.]

“Kyarr.”

[Hurry. I need to go to him.]

Shati growled, but under Lebel’s cold, unwavering gaze that continued to bore into him, it lost its spirit and eventually knelt before him.

Telepathic commands were inaudible to ordinary people, so to the others, it looked as though Lebel was simply gesturing to direct Shati.

Ignoring the onlookers whose mouths hung open in shock, Lebel climbed onto Shati’s back.

“Shati, let’s go chase after that scoundrel who abandoned his wife.”

At those words, Shati ran toward the northern castle like an arrow.

***

The northern castle was in an uproar. They had hastily dispatched knights upon hearing that a demonic beast had appeared in the village, but what they brought back was Yutis, clutching his chest and gasping for breath raggedly.

It was a precursor symptom of his rut. Although wounds were visible on his back, the rut took precedence. When he transformed into a monster, all wounds on his body would heal.

The imperial citizens mockingly called him a monster, but in truth, the term was controversial even among the northerners. That was why other families respected the Hestro family while also fearing them.

Yutis entered his room on his own and locked the door, effectively imprisoning himself. It was his own will.

As he entered the room, Yutis left behind a single message.

My wife is in the village. Please bring him back carefully. Do not let him come anywhere near here…! And if I should go looking for my wife… cut off my legs if you must to stop me.

Even in the midst of the chaos, the people prepared methodically, as if this were not the first or second time such an event had occurred.

A group set out to retrieve Lebel from the village, while others were positioned in front to block him in case Yutis got out of his room.

“He was fine just this morning.”

Bron, who called himself Yutis’s right-hand man and a mage, paced in front of the door while biting his nails. The others watching him also wore grim expressions.

Yutis had endured rut cycles many times before, but today his condition was particularly poor. The concentration and intensity of the pheromones wafting around him were overwhelmingly strong.

It had been a long time coming, a harbinger that he would suffer greatly during this rut.

And on days like this, someone always had to shed blood before it ended. After that, Yutis would return to his senses and torment himself with guilt, as always.

“It’s making me restless. Stay still.”

Theo, guarding the door, spoke calmly, though he too gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. Bron glanced at him and let out a sigh.

“I know. Let’s get through this safely…”

Few could withstand Yutis’s pheromones and subdue him if necessary. Only dominant alphas with bodies and minds strong enough to overpower his pheromones could manage it, elite warriors.

At that moment, a commotion stirred at the end of the corridor.

“…It is possible. Really… Young madam!”

Bron and Theo lifted their heads at the distant shout. Soon after, Mahan and Lebel appeared.

Bron and Theo were horrified to see Lebel approaching and yelled at Mahan.

“What are you thinking, bringing him here?!”

“I-I tried to stop him, but…”

Mahan said by way of excuse. Lebel’s presence had been that intimidating. Lebel, who had ridden Shati straight to the castle, headed directly inside.

Servants stepped forward to block his path, but Lebel advanced boldly with Shati leading the way. He even drove back the crowding servants with Shati’s roars.

“Yutis is inside that room.”

Lebel turned his head and stared at the door.