Only Blood Relatives
It was a fitting thought. The previous Grand Duke—the father of both Lua and Sia—had once had a younger brother. The two siblings had waged a brutal contest for the seat of power, and the blood they spilled had stained the snowfields crimson. In the end, the defeated younger brother was banished from the throne to the distant Northwest Barrier. Rina Tanalif and Mina Tanalif were his daughters by a different mother. Lua and Sia, Rina and Mina—their relationship as cousins was far from one of simple, carefree smiles.
“Sia, sister. I couldn’t greet you properly earlier amid all the chaos.”
“O-oh, is that so?”
When Rina kept referring to Sia as her older sister, Mina tilted her head in confusion.
“Sister. Why do you call my brother ‘sister’?”
“Mina, why are you still calling her your brother? This person is a woman now, you know?”
“We’ve always called him brother. That’s simply how it’s been.”
“If the body has become female, shouldn’t it be sister? Though I suppose there are people these days who claim their physical sex and mental gender differ. I admit I don’t really understand it.”
“Sister. That’s completely different from this situation. Sia was clearly a man before the curse—”
The longer Rina and Mina’s debate continued, the more Sia felt as though needles were pricking her heart. Everything seemed to be her fault. If only she had accepted her new womanhood sooner and told Lua to call her sister, this argument would never have happened.
“Mina. Stop being stubborn. My sister is right, isn’t she?”
Rina frowned, genuinely displeased, and Mina immediately fell silent. From the moment she had come of age, Mina had never once tried to win an argument against her older sister.
“…I’m sorry, Sister Rina. Please don’t be angry.”
“Angry? How could I ever be angry with you, Mina? Now then, Sia, you agree as well, yes? Since you’re a woman, it’s only proper to call you sister, isn’t it?”
Rina pressed for an answer. Sia had never possessed a single masculine trait since childhood, and Rina knew this well. Whenever she was cornered like this, Sia would always fall silent and simply nod along. That tendency had grown even stronger after becoming a woman and losing all confidence.
Just as Rina predicted, Sia shrank in on herself.
“Well, that’s—”
Of course.
That was what Sia had meant to say, but the words would not come. It wasn’t that she lacked reasons—her mind was still that of a man, so she shouldn’t be called sister—but there was a far more important truth.
“—N-no, that won’t do.”
“Pardon?”
The unexpected reply made Rina’s pupils contract. Seeing the woman stare at her with wide eyes, Sia grew terrified, yet she stubbornly continued.
“L-Lua calls me… b-brother.”
In matters concerning the family, blood relations were of utmost importance. If the head of the house defined Sia as her brother, Rina could not arbitrarily change that.
“Indeed, Her Grace the Grand Duke has always addressed her that way,” Mina added.
“…Very well. Then I shall speak with Lua later. If she agrees to call you sister, there will be no problem, correct?”
“Y-yes…”
Of course, the matter was fraught with complications for Sia personally. But her own feelings had always come second to Lua and the family.
“Lady Rina! Lady Mina! You’ve arrived at the perfect time! There is something I wish to discuss—”
A blacksmith approached, then trailed off. One glance at Sia had clearly left him bewitched by her beauty. Rina’s teeth ground together at the sight.
“Mina. Go see what he wants, then let’s move to a different location. Somewhere we can speak privately.”
“Your Grace! I wish to fight as well!”
As the troop assignments were nearly complete, a boy thrust his hand into the air and shouted. His silver hair and crimson eyes marked him unmistakably as a member of the Tanalif family.
“Dino Tanalif. You are still young, and the battles at this time are far too dangerous.”
Lua pointed this out calmly. Dino was Rina’s son. In the current situation where Lua could not bear children, Dino—the most likely candidate among the Great Fairies to succeed her as Grand Duke—stood as the probable heir. Of course, depending on circumstances, someone older than Dino might assume the title after Lua.
“I am fully aware of the risks! Yet even those weaker than I are staking their lives in combat. As a Great Fairy possessing greater power, should I not step forward precisely at such a time?”
“In a few more years you will have no choice but to do so whether you wish it or not. Wait a little longer.”
“But Your Grace took the field at an even younger age than I am now, did you not?”
That is because I am far superior to you. Unable to humiliate him with such a reply, Lua turned her gaze to the man standing beside her.
“…Belato. What is your opinion?”
Belato, an Upper Elf, served as deputy commander of the Northwest Barrier garrison and was Rina’s husband. He often acted in her stead as commander.
“My son. Did you not say yourself that it is too dangerous?”
“Father! Mother will surely want me to distinguish myself in this battle!”
Rina’s intentions were obvious. She meant to spread the perception that her son was the rightful successor by having him perform admirably in the coming conflict. As the possibility of Lua bearing children grew smaller with each passing day, there was no reason to obstruct her. Still, using a battle where lives were at stake for political gain left a bitter taste in Lua’s mouth.
“You summoned me, Your Grace.”
“…Physician.”
After the meeting ended, Lua called Dimaria to the room where she was staying.
“Please speak.”
“Stay still for a moment.”
“Pardon?”
Dimaria asked again, but Lua offered no explanation as she walked right up to her. The two women stared at each other with expressionless faces, close enough for their breaths to mingle. Then, slowly, Lua moved and pulled Dimaria into an embrace.
“Y-Your Grace?”
“Don’t move, Dimaria.”
Only the sound of their breathing filled the quiet room. The court physician felt the Grand Duke’s breasts pressing firmly against her own. Dimaria’s were by no means small, yet they lacked Lua’s explosive fullness. Lua’s embrace was warm. Dimaria’s body gradually began to heat.
Just as a strange feeling overcame her and she unconsciously lifted her arms to return the hug—
“No… this isn’t it.”
Wearing a doubtful expression, Lua released her. Dimaria clutched at the empty air a few times, reluctant to let the moment end.
“…Is something the matter?”
“Earlier, when Rina hugged me… I almost got wet.”
“Surely you don’t mean—”
“You understood correctly.”
One should be completely honest with one’s physician. Knowing this, Lua still found herself speaking in vague terms. To feel such emotions toward her own cousin after her blood brother—it was impossible to admit openly.
“It isn’t as intense as what I feel toward my brother. With him, the urge is so strong I can barely keep my reason. But with her… it was simply the thought that she wouldn’t be a bad partner. That’s all.”
“And the reason you embraced me just now?”
“I wondered if I might feel it toward any beautiful woman… You are certainly beautiful, Dimaria, but… I felt nothing of the sort with you. I’m sorry for hugging you without warning. Did it upset you?”
“Not at all, but…”
Dimaria licked her lips once, then stroked her chin as though something had occurred to her.
“There is another commonality between Lady Sia and Lady Rina. Did you feel similar emotions toward Lady Mina as well?”
“…”
Lua nodded, staring at Dimaria with dawning realization. Dimaria answered with silence. Lua was currently experiencing sexual attraction only toward her blood relatives. In truth, she may have noticed it subconsciously. She simply hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it.
“B-but I felt nothing at all toward Dino earlier! We cannot conclude it’s strictly limited to that!”
“As for the reason behind that…”
“…Wait. Then is my brother all right?”
Dimaria had been about to explain, but Lua cut her off. Sia had received the curse from Lua. And Sia was under far stronger influence from the curse than Lua herself. If Lua felt sexual attraction toward blood relatives, it meant Sia likely felt an even more powerful lust toward them.
“No… right now my brother is…”
“Your Grace? Are you listening?”
Lua’s crimson eyes had gone vacant. Dimaria’s words no longer reached her ears at all.
Her brother was currently with Mina Tanalif. That beast with the charm of a great wolf, more popular with women than men! Though she was now confined to the barrier garrison, Mina had once bewitched countless young noblewomen in high society. What if her brother had already fallen for that wolf?
“Mina! There’s no telling what that girl might do to my brother!”
“Pardon? That seems unlikely.”
Dimaria could not understand her worry. The curse afflicted Sia, not Mina; if anyone was going to do anything, it would be Sia. Besides, Mina was not attracted to women, and her reputation for seducing young ladies had never been intentional. Yet Lua had already lost all capacity for such logic. Her mind filled with vivid, obscene images.
A silver wolf pinning down a pink-haired bitch, legs spread wide, sobbing ahhn♡ ahhn♡ beneath that massive frame. She could never allow that to happen. Sia was hers and hers alone.
The monster sleeping between her legs began to twitch and stir.
“I must bring my brother here at once! Prepare for an examination and wait for us!”
“Ah… yes…”