Episode 24

I was resting after finishing cleaning when Aron suddenly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠approached me.

He came right up next to me, furrowed his brow as he stared, then abruptly spoke.

"What a disappointment..."

"What?"

"Your chest has gotten bigger lately and you've grown taller too. Had I known this would happen, I shouldn't have brought you along."

"No, what kind of crazy talk is that? Why are you suddenly saying I'm a disappointment?"

"But there are plenty of women around with big breasts and good figures, right? Someone a bit flat like you is also needed sometimes. Do you know what I mean?"

"...Not at all."

I had indeed grown enough to suddenly hear such comments.

My chest had grown so much that you could say it formed small hills on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a cutting board. The difference isn't noticeable when clothed, but it shows when undressed.

My height had increased slightly too, so now when I hug Aron, my face fits perfectly against his chest.

'But coming over and calling me a disappointment... What kind of mentality is that?'

Lately he'd been persistently watching my body, and now I understood why.

He'd been watching me grow and having those kinds of thoughts by himself.

"No, listen to me carefully. You get tired of eating the same food all the time, right?"

I quietly just nodded.

"But you've seen Ryeong's figure, right? Like, she's got big breasts and wide hips? You know what I mean."

"So... Seoryeong Unni is the main dish, and I'm just occasional snack material?"

"It would be problematic if you interpret it that way..."

"You forcibly brought me here and make me smell your scent every day. And now you're treating me like a snack?"

I'd already been feeling unwell lately, and hearing this nonsense made me explode with anger.

"You are going to treat Karen Unni and Ivy, right?"

"Of course. You don't think I wouldn't, do you?"

"Hmm... I don't believe you."

Lately when I'm at home, the hazy scent makes me feel bad, and I just don't feel well physically.

But the guy in front of me makes me smell his scent every day, so it's only natural I'm angry in many ways.

'If he engraved me, doesn't that mean he'll take responsibility?'

Instead, since coming here, our time together has decreased.

Whenever he has free time, he plays, chats, and jokes around with Seoryeong Unni as if he doesn't have a separate lover.

"This is annoying..."

Lately my stomach has been hurting and my nerves are on edge.

Things I would normally let slide now irritate me and bother me, making me confront Aron about them.

Seoryeong Unni, who had been watching, got up from her seat and approached.

"Aren't you about to start your period soon?"

That single statement made me so flustered that even my irritation disappeared.

Getting my period now, after over 20 years of never having one since being reborn as a woman?

"That can't be. I've never had one before."

"Of course. Until now, your body hadn't fully developed. You might be an adult by human standards, but you weren't even an adult by beastkin standards."

"So... you're saying that as I'm growing now, my per... that thing is coming?"

The word was so awkward it wouldn't even come out of my mouth.

"It seems so? You've grown quite a bit in height lately."

Flustered, I looked down at my lower abdomen.

It felt strange to think that something that had been quiet for 20 years would suddenly become active.

I awkwardly shook my head.

"That can't be. More importantly, are we training today?"

My muscles had developed to some extent.

Having lived nearly a month without using aura, my physical body itself had become stronger. And thanks to learning beastkin combat methods, I could fight well even with bare fists.

"It seems like you've got the basics down now? You've built more muscle than before too."

"So does that mean we're done?"

"Now it's just about not using aura and eating well. I don't know what you'll do in the future, but with this much, you probably won't get beaten up wherever you go?"

"Aron. Then let's go see the elf now. We need to go there and ask about what they put on my stomach."

Aron looked at me for a moment, then asked Seoryeong Unni.

"What about estrus and pheromones? Right now only your physical growth is complete."

"Estrus will come when the time is right, and pheromones are something you release instinctively, right? I think you've noticed it a bit yourself too."

Her words made me flinch momentarily.

Actually, lately when I went to the village, there was an indescribably sweet and heavy scent. It was strangely wild, like body odor you could say.

Especially when I got close to young men and women, the scent was intense.

'I guess that mysterious feeling must be pheromones.'

Though it was a scent, it was closer to a new sensation felt throughout the entire body rather than just a simple smell.

Perhaps this was why humans couldn't detect it.

"See. Mia's being quiet too. She roughly knows what it feels like."

"Really? Then it's okay to go?"

Both their gazes clearly turned toward me.

"We should go. Let's stop by the elf village just to check what this thing engraved on my stomach is, then leave."

"Alright, then let's go right away."

*

While traveling, Mia asked Aron as she was held in his arms.

Her voice sounded cautious, yet also like it came out because she couldn't hold back.

"But you have so many women around you, why haven't you gotten married? Seoryeong Unni is really pretty too."

"It's a bit complicated... I'll explain later. Anyway, I haven't gotten married yet."

"But do you do... that kind of stuff every night?"

Aron flinched at the sudden question. Since she was in his arms, she immediately noticed he was flustered.

"Ryeong-i needs to relieve her estrus, and I was lonely too. But we don't intend to have children together, so we've been living like this."

"Then what about the elf we're going to see now? Did you do it with that elf too?"

"...I have, yes?"

I had expected it from the middle, but actually hearing it from his mouth made my feelings go up and down.

Though I considered pressing further, I held back and Mia continued speaking.

"This time, let's just get checked and move on immediately. It's better to get to the ancient ruins quickly, right?"

Looking at Mia whining in his arms, Aron thought to himself.

'Is she very anxious? Lately she's been acting quite coquettish.'

She wasn't bothersome like other women. Though usually bold, when she acted like this occasionally, it rather looked cute and he liked it.

'Has her beastkin instinct awakened and increased her anxiety, making her like this?'

Mia's original condition wasn't good to begin with.

Her obsessive housework, the subtle attachment she occasionally showed.

Even her attitude of pretending to dislike it but simultaneously enjoying being held.

When Mia first discovered Karen's corpse, she looked like she would shatter at any moment.

After hearing about her past, it seemed she had already reached her limit with cherished people continuously dying and disappearing.

Though she herself didn't seem to know that fact.

In that state, meeting a strong male and learning her beastkin instincts for the first time, it was only natural she would want to be protected.

"Alright, then let's just check what's on your stomach there and come right out."

"Okay..."

Mia buried her face back into Aron's embrace, as if she wasn't feeling well.

*

The elf who had been examining my stomach removed her hand.

Shaking her flowing, soft hair slightly, she spoke in a relaxed voice.

"I've checked, and there's no problem with your body. And it seems you'll have your first period soon, so just keep that in mind."

"That's a relief. And could you explain the magic you put on my stomach? She's been anxious about it."

"Ah, you mean this?"

Her slender fingertips touched the pattern on my stomach.

I flinched at the ticklish sensation of her nails.

"This is just a pregnancy prevention spell, so you don't need to worry. Actually, isn't it essential magic when you're around a beast? Beast-nim."

Aron averted his eyes under Eri's gaze.

It seemed Aron was quite problematic here too.

"So leaving it as is won't cause any health problems for me?"

"Yes, it's literally just for pregnancy prevention. It has no other effects."

I sighed in relief and slowly sat up.

Sitting on the bed, I straightened my clothes and looked at the elf in front of me.

Softly curved eyes, large breasts, wide hips. When these combined appropriately, they created the atmosphere of a relaxed older woman.

'Even her way of speaking has that kind of feeling.'

She gave off the vibe of a big-breasted noona straight out of fiction.

On one side, a seductive fox woman; on the other, a relaxed noona. At this rate, wouldn't a childhood friend saintess appear next?

"Then may we go right away? If there's nothing special we need to do..."

"Do you need to leave so urgently? Since you're here... wouldn't it be better to learn how to handle things before going?"

"Th-that... I suppose so..."

Since I had no connections with women in my previous life either, I didn't really know.

I only know through various circumstances that blood comes out and it hurts. And since this is a medieval fantasy world, I genuinely don't know ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anything.

"Then I'll stay for a while and get some help..."

It seemed impossible to refuse anyway.

If something like that happened when we entered the ruins, that would be problematic in its own way.

"That's a good idea. I have many spare rooms in my house, so please stay there."

"...Isn't there a separate house?"

"Oh my, are you two already in that kind of relationship? Mia still seems too young for that though. Anyway, my house has good soundproofing, so please stay at my house. Understood, Aron?"

Aron flinched under her softly curved eyes that held a sharp glint.

He slowly turned his head and nodded.

"Eri's house is big and nice. Don't ask for a separate house for no reason and let's stay there."

"You heard him, right? Then go with Aron to the house and rest. I'll finish what I need to do and return."

Eventually, I reluctantly nodded.

Aron's attitude, completely different from with Seoryeong Unni, just made me angry.

*

Aron was somewhat worried as he brought the silent Mia along.

The change in plans from what they discussed on the way here had clearly made her mood gloomy. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Of course, since it was Mia's choice, she didn't show obvious irritation either.

'I think she just doesn't like staying at Eri's house.'

Mia had felt threatened after meeting the formidable rival that was Seoryeong.

As the number of strong competitors who could take Aron's side increased, her anxiety grew.

'But she strangely refuses to go further. She still enjoys smelling my scent but dislikes anything beyond that.'

As if she had her own standards, she would hug me every day to smell my scent but wouldn't allow anything beyond that.

Though he could force it since they had an agreement, Aron didn't want that.

He wanted to wait until Mia opened her heart, at minimum.

And he realized all such worries were meaningless during dinner. Mia's jealousy and competitive spirit were stronger than expected.

"Fresh and young things are always best, after all."

"That can't be right. Aron likes well-aged wine too, you know?"

That evening. The quiet Mia finally bared her claws.