I couldn’t hide my shock as I listened to Leona’s response. Just a few days ago, it was Kate asking for the seed, and now it’s Leona. What’s more, Leona had confidently declared in front of Marie the last ti that she would beco my wife. It was a misunderstanding caused by cultural differences, but now it’s a little different.
Leona might potentially beco the Great Chieftain, and in such a situation, she says she’ll bear my child to repay the favor. Could this also be a part of their culture? She did ntion customs directly, so it’s halfway certain.
“…What are you talking about again? Last ti, you said you’d beco my wife.”
I quietly asked without even thinking of wiping the coffee that had spilled from my mouth. Still in shock, I was feeling dazed.
Then, Leona awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of her head in response to my question. Even though she had said it herself, she seed unsure.
“I must emphasize that this is a story if I beco the chieftain. Beastn regards giving birth to the offspring of the chieftain as the highest form of repaynt. If soone has received personal favors or has greatly aided the tribe, they are honored with the privilege of carrying the blood of the chieftain.”
“What if the genders are the sa?”
“They can ask a family mber or relative of the chieftain, or the reverse, or even give their own child at a later date. In any case, it’s enough to have the blood of the chieftain running through the offspring.”
“Wow…”
Considering it an honor to give birth to the chieftain’s offspring, it was truly a savage and beastn-like tradition. It wasn’t for nothing she confidently declared she would beco my wife in front of Marie. With such a culture as the foundation, there could be a significant difference in common sense.
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the beastn’ culture, which elicited only admiration from , and then I looked at Leona. She seed puzzled even after explaining it herself.
“…So, the beastn consider it an insult if soone refuses compensation?”
“Yes.”
“Then, does that an you have to marry soone without any choice once you beco the chieftain?”
Leona looked up, deep in thought about my question, before answering.
“Um… Marriage is up to you—if you want to, go ahead, but if not, you don’t have to. As long as you have offspring, it’s fine.”
“Who will raise the child?”
“You can raise them, or I can. If you prefer, you can just have the child and pretend you don’t know about it. Human culture and Beastn culture are different, so I can tolerate that much.”
“… …”
I was left speechless, my mind spinning. There’s one remarkable thing to note here: Leona doesn’t seem embarrassed at all. While there’s a hint of awkwardness, there’s almost no sha in her response.
Since the last ti she confidently declared that she would be my wife, I’ve been thinking about this, but she sees herself as an ‘upper’ beastn, as beastn-like as she is.
For a brief mont, I felt the gap created by our differing norms, but suddenly, a thought crossed my mind: if Leona doesn’t beco the chieftain, do they have to give a child? I quickly asked this question.
“Wait a mont. This is a conversation assuming you beco the chieftain, but what if it’s the other way around? What if soone else becos the chieftain instead of you?”
“Maybe? If the chieftain has a daughter, they’ll probably give her to you, right? If waiting is too hard, they might even send away. Anyway, as long as the lion’s blood flows in them, it’s all right.”
“Oh. That’s quite sothing.”
Why can’t I shake this ominous premonition? I only offered advice borrowed from my past life, but the situation has beco incredibly complicated.
I can understand such a culture existing due to a savage environnt, but when viewed from a third party’s perspective, it’s very hard to accept.
‘How can I explain this to Marie and Cecily…’
I buried my face in my hands in embarrassnt. With the already complicated relationship with Adelia, adding Leona into the mix made it even more complex.
It’s honestly fulfilling as a man when beautiful won show affection towards . However, after accepting Cecily’s confession, I realized it’s not as simple as it seems.
Marie and Cecily fortunately get along and compromise with each other. But if this situation escalates further, I can’t predict what will happen. Even now, they’re in a heated argunt due to the night’s activities. Adding more won into the mix?
I’m not so kind of super virile character from a manga or novel, it’s going to be a challenging ti ahead.
“…Is it that bad if I beco your wife?”
In the midst of despairing over a bleak future, Leona seed to take my reaction in a different sense as she muttered.
I removed my hands from my face and looked at her. Her lips were puckered, and she wore a sulky expression, her wounded pride evident. It was a cute sight, like an irritated kitten, rather than a brave lion. I stared at the pouting Leona for a while.
First, let’s start with the main point. Leona is beautiful. It’s undeniable that she’s a beauty with her golden hair and dazzling gold eyes, resembling a beast. Her beauty, which highlights her wildness, and her pointed ears that make you want to touch them, stirred an irresistible impulse.
While she’s usually fierce, her current appearance exuded a contrasting charm. How many n could refuse a beautiful woman like this, who is willing to beco their wife? However, I need to consider my current situation carefully.
‘I have to let her know that Cecily too is my lover…’
If that happens, I’ll definitely have to reveal that I am Xenon. The beastn culture complicates my position in many ways.
First, let’s try to appease the upset Leona. The more I remain silent, the more it could hurt her.
“It’s not because of that; it’s because of my situation. Actually, I don’t have just one lover.”
“Oh, the demon princess?”
“Huh? Uh, how did you know?”
I was genuinely shocked. Except for a few close acquaintances, I’ve been keeping my relationship with Cecily a secret. So, I’m careful when we go on dates and try my best to avoid suspicion.
For situations like nightti, we sneak out of the academy to do it in Helium without anyone knowing. However, Leona figured it out in an instant, and she even responded as if it weren’t a big deal.
Leona pointed at with her index finger as I displayed a bewildered reaction and replied.
“Sll.”
“Sll?”
“Yeah. As you probably already know, every person has their own unique scent. In your case, it’s the scent of lilacs, Marie has a fresh lemony fragrance, and the Demon Princess has a sweet peachy scent. Sotis, I can even sll a lemon scent from you, but peachy scent too. Unless you blend your bodies together, it’s impossible for human scents to mix.”
“… …”
“So, I had a rough idea that the Demon Princess has beco your lover, but I didn’t see the need to announce it to everyone? That’s why I kept my mouth shut. Don’t underestimate a beastman’s sense of sll.”
Leona gestured with her fingers, seemingly emphasizing her point.
An animal’s senses are far superior to those of humans. So, a beastman’s senses should be the sa.
I felt a sense of futility as everything I had tried to hide seed aningless, but at the sa ti, I felt relieved.
I remained silent for a while with a dumbfounded expression before eventually bursting into laughter.
“… Aren’t you curious why Cecily beca my lover?”
“I’m not curious at all. If your hearts match, you beco partners, simple as that. Or maybe you have so hidden power.”
I was slightly taken aback by her words. However, I realized that my thoughts had been focused in that direction solely because of the way humans think. I hadn’t even considered it as a possibility.
“Are you secretly an easygoing person?”
“Call it being accommodating.”
Leona proudly replied, sticking out her chest as if she was proud. So this is where the difference between our species cos into play. I shook my head in disbelief as I observed it.
“So, is it difficult for you to accept soone as you have two partners? Because they might reject them too, right?”
“It’s closer to that. It’s hard to reject outright. It could be taken as an insult. Is there any other reward besides that? Like material compensation.”
“I consider myself as your material compensation.”
“Wow…”
I felt dizzy. The savage customs of the beastn were so deeply ingrained that I couldn’t deal with them using common sense. Should I just accept it as it is? It’s a problem whether Leona becos the Great Chieftain or not.
From a quick glance, it seed like Leona had already made up her mind… No, it seed like she didn’t even think about it. Even if she lived at the Halo Academy and learned about human customs, the beastn’s common sense was deeply rooted.
So, it wouldn’t be a big deal for her even if she beca my wife. How can I politely refuse? Regardless of whether Leona likes it or not, this is a practical problem. While I was seriously contemplating with a furrowed brow, Leona casually spoke up.
“Don’t worry, accepting it is also one way. And if I beco the Great Chieftain, you can just have children and ignore them, right?”
“You might not understand as a beastman, but I’m human. I must take responsibility for my child.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to take a different route then if I’m not going to be the Great Chieftain.”
“Hmm? What are you talking about?”
“If I beco the Great Chieftain, I have an obligation to have many offspring. So, not only you, but other n will also have to accept as a mate.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. Normally, males having multiple females was common, but I had heard of the opposite situation as well. And the Great Chieftain is the king of the beastn.
Power could also be considered a form of strength, so it was a position that no one could touch. In other words, if Leona beca the Great Chieftain, it ant that she would have to accept other n besides .
Honestly, I didn’t like that idea. If Leona were soone else’s, I might have overlooked it as a unique custom, but not when it ca to my child. Whether it was because of mories from a past life or just my own desires, I felt repulsed by that. I had always been averse to the idea of having children outside of marriage.
“…I’m a bit uneasy about that. Can’t it be changed?”
“It’s not easy to change this. That’s why I don’t want to beco the Great Chieftain. It would be much better for to beco your third wife.”
“…Leona.”
“Yes?”
I looked at Leona, who was giggling, with a conflicted expression and eventually let out a sigh.
In response to my sigh, she also stopped smiling and adopted a sowhat serious expression. After a subtle silence settled in, I began to slowly bring out my inner thoughts.
“It might be because I’m human, or it could just be a personal perspective. I believe there should be affection between us to have a relationship, and I think the ultimate goal of that should be a child. At least, I don’t see it as a ‘reward’ or ‘duty.’”
“… …”
“I don’t dislike you at all. It’s just that… how can I put it… it feels like you’re treating yourself like an object. At least, I want to cherish and value my own person. Not as an object but as a lovely woman.”
I could have said such nonsense, having already accepted Cecily and having been confessed to by Adelia. But I really dislike insincere affection.
Between people, it’s not about obligation, but true feelings should co and go. At least, I live my life thinking that way.
The reason I unconsciously accepted Adelia is also because of this. She doesn’t know I’m Xenon, and her affection towards is genuine.
“So, for now, I can only reject you. I won’t stop you from not becoming the Great Chieftain if you wish, but becoming my wife is sothing I’ll gradually consider. Let’s build our relationship slowly as individuals, not as a reward, but as two people.”
“What if I insist on becoming the Great Chieftain?”
“We should pretend that conversation never happened. It’s better for both of us to remain friends.”
In so ways, you could say it’s selfish. I don’t want Leona to be with another man, and I’m pushing away the idea of becoming my wife as well. So, maybe I could just close my eyes and have a child once, but pregnancy wasn’t that easy.
Beastn birth rate is similar to humans, so their fertility period is probably similar too. So, we have to do it at least a few tis. She hasn’t developed any affection for until now either.
“Actually, you could call it selfish. I don’t want another man in your life, and I’m refusing to beco your husband for love reasons. That’s how I feel right now.”
“… …”
“What do you think?”
Leona listened to my innermost thoughts sohow spilled out and had a subtle expression on her face. I anxiously waited for her words to fall from her lips. If she were an ordinary human, I wouldn’t have anything to say even if she slapped and cursed . The statent I made was at the level where I would take all the curses in the world without any objections.
However, she currently sees herself as a kind of commodity. This is precisely the part that I dislike the most. I wished that she would at least think of herself as a person, not an object.
“…I see.”
After a brief mont, Leona nodded as if she understood. I tensed up inwardly.
What will co out of her mouth, really? Although she had just spoken, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
How much ti had passed in this silence? While waiting anxiously, Leona, whose mouth had been tightly closed, began to slowly open it.
“I like it.”
“…What?”
“I like it.”
And, quite unexpectedly, those words flowed from her mouth. To make it even more surprising, she wore her characteristic cynical smile.
While I was left stunned, Leona clenched her fist, and as if convinced on her own, she nodded and continued speaking.
“Yes. A male should have ambition, right? The aspiration to dominate without sharing a female with anyone else. I really like that.”
“No, that’s not what I ant…”
“I know. So your words an you want to feel affection from , right?”
Swish
Leona spoke incomprehensible words, then pulled out a tail hidden in her pants. A tail resembling the end of a brush.
While I was focused on the swaying tail, she slowly got up from her seat and approached .
Subsequently, she looked straight into my eyes, chuckled, then slowly knelt down and brought her head close to mine. Her pointed ears stole my attention.
“Touch.”
“What, what?”
“Touch my ears. Don’t you want to express affection towards you?”
Upon hearing those words, I shifted my gaze to the two ears that were perking up. Touching tails was an act reserved for couples, and touching ears signified the granting of affection.
So, she was allowing to touch her ears as a sign of affection in response to my words. She was expressing it directly, not taphorically. I was unsure how to proceed, but Leona encouraged by pushing her ears closer. Eventually, I found myself touching the ears that had popped up unexpectedly.
Swoosh
“Rrrrow.”
As I touched her head, Leona started to purr like a cat. I focused on the sensation in my hand. When I petted Marie and Cecily’s heads, it felt only soft, but Leona’s texture was quite different, probably because she was a beastwoman.
It was more rough than soft. However, it had a strangely addictive quality, and I couldn’t stop petting her. On the other hand, her ears were very soft.
“Rrr. Rrrrow.”
Leona continued to purr and impatiently rubbed her head against my hand as if urging to continue. I, too, continued to pet her head with a complex expression. It felt like I had a big cat in my hands.
Just doing this alone made my feelings complicated, but Leona seed completely intoxicated by my touch, going so far as to engage in even more affectionate actions.
Lick
“Uh!”
The common behavior of animals in the cat family, grooming. Leona grabbed my hand while I was petting her and licked my palm with her tongue.
Startled by her sudden action, I hastily withdrew my hand, and it seed Leona was equally flustered as she quickly apologized.
“Oh. I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t an to…”
“No, no. It’s okay. I was just a little surprised.”
“That’s a relief. So, did you feel my affection?”
Leona still knelt on the floor, making it impossible for to avoid her gaze. Her tail swayed gently behind her, and her ears perked up with an expression that seed filled with anticipation. Not to ntion her irresistibly cute face.
I covered my face with one hand, feeling my heart pounding. But that hand was the sa one Leona had just licked with her tongue.
After a mont of discomfort, I sighed deeply and spoke.
“…I’ll talk to others.”
The number of won in my life was increasing.
Translators note:
Man, I love Leona, she’s so cute… and normal… comparatively…
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