His Breeding Obsession Chapter 164

Grecian bright, sparkling eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. 

 

Then, in his usual blunt tone, he said, “So, treat me kindly. Even now.”

 

If he had said it playfully, she might have brushed it off as a joke, but his usual tone made it hard to dismiss.

 

Mirania unconsciously took a step back, coughing awkwardly several times.

 

Yet, as Grecan continued to gaze at her with those luminous eyes, she furrowed her brows.

 

“Ah, ah! Have you no shame?”

 

She scolded him unnecessarily, then pointed at the feline child and started walking toward the entrance.

 

“We should hurry and find its parents. They must be worried sick.”

 

Her hurried steps as she walked ahead betrayed her flustered state.

 

Meow, meow~

 

Grecan tapped the kitten’s nose lightly as it tried to escape, then followed Mirania closely.

 

At first, Mirania thought the mute kitten wouldn’t be much help in finding its home.

 

Searching such a vast area herself was out of the question for Mirania, who avoided troublesome tasks as much as possible.

 

She left the task of locating the feline to creatures friendly to her—like the swarms of rats and insects that had multiplied significantly over the past hundred years—and moved leisurely.

 

It was when they reached the outskirts of the city.

 

Meeeeeow~

 

The kitten, which had given up on escaping and was now slumped in Grecan’s arms, began to let out a long, plaintive cry.

 

“Hoh.”

 

“Why is it doing that?”

 

“It seems its home might be around here.”

 

The kitten cried more frequently as they ventured further in.

 

It was quite far from the school, making Mirania wonder how such a young creature had wandered so far.

 

Grecan glanced around the empty surroundings and said bluntly:

 

“This is pointless. It’s clearly abandoned.”

 

“Let’s look a bit more.”

 

Just as Mirania began to doubt whether they were in the right place, a cave draped with vines came into view.

 

A short, plump woman was pacing in front of it.

 

She tensed upon seeing Mirania and Grecan suddenly appear, but her eyes widened when she noticed the crying kitten in Grecan’s arms.

 

“Chesha!”

 

Meeeeow~

 

Meow, meow!

 

The kitten began scratching Grecan’s arm furiously.

 

Grecan, who had been holding the kitten by the scruff to keep it from squirming, reflexively tightened his grip to prevent it from falling.

 

“Chesha, Chesha.”

 

The feline woman, wary of Grecan, hesitated to approach but looked at the kitten with deep concern.

 

Anyone could tell from her desperate, affectionate gaze that she was the kitten’s mother.

 

Grecan looked back and forth between her and the kitten with a strange expression.

 

Mirania, sensing Grecan’s silence, kept her mouth shut.

 

Meow, meow~

 

The kitten’s cries grew even more pitiful.

 

Mirania didn’t tell Grecan to let the kitten go.

 

Instead, she took a step back, watching the situation unfold, curious about what he would do.

 

‘Is he thinking about Balkan?’

 

Or perhaps Ramie, who had died when he was born.

 

Grecan hesitated, caught off guard by the unexpected situation.

 

When he released the scruff of the kitten’s neck, the kitten landed lightly on the ground and immediately dashed toward the feline woman as if it had been waiting for this moment.

 

The woman tightly embraced the kitten as it nestled into her arms.

 

Rustle—

 

“Honey, it seems Chesha was here… Chesha!”

 

A man came running from the opposite direction and scooped up Chesha from the woman’s arms.

 

“Where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

 

After a brief moment of warmth, the man began scolding the kitten harshly, and the kitten cried pitifully in his arms.

 

“Honey…”

 

The feline woman tried to intervene, and the man stopped, following her gaze. His eyes widened when he noticed Mirania and Grecan.

 

Like his wife, his eyes were filled with wariness.

 

Under normal circumstances, they might have been grateful for someone returning their child, but in these troubled times, strangers were met with suspicion.

 

“We found it wandering far from home and were helping it find its way back. We’re not sure how it ended up so far.”

 

The man, still holding his wife close, cautiously bowed his head.

 

“Thank you for finding our child. We were frantic searching for her. If you’d like a reward, we can offer…”

 

“No need. Just take better care of your child. In these times, anyone would assume it was abandoned.”

 

Grecan flinched.

 

The feline man, who had assumed they would want a reward, finally relaxed his guarded expression and looked flustered.

 

Mirania waved off their attempts to offer anything and descended the hillside with Grecan.

 

It was a particularly secluded area. Though not entirely devoid of life, it seemed people were hiding in every corner.

 

As they walked in silence, a plaza came into view.

 

In the center was a wide stage, likely once used for performances by traveling troupes, surrounded by tattered tents.

 

Mirania, noticing Grecan’s unusual silence, grabbed his wrist and led him toward the stage.

 

Grecan’s eyes widened in surprise, but he followed without resistance.

 

“Let’s rest for a bit. We’ve been walking for a while, and I’m tired.”

 

Her whole body felt heavy after the long walk.

 

At Mirania’s complaint, Grecan spoke seriously.

 

“I could carry you…”

 

“No need.”

 

The immediate refusal made Grecan’s eyebrows furrow.

 

As Mirania was about to sit down, Grecan stopped her and flicked his hand.

 

A strong gust of wind swept across the stage, blowing away the trash and dust.

 

Then, he took off his cloak and laid it on the ground before gently guiding Mirania to sit on it.

 

Blinking in surprise, Mirania muttered without thinking.

 

“This is comfortable.”

 

A smile formed at the corner of Grecan’s mouth. Mirania watched him sit beside her and hesitated for a moment.

 

The smile that had briefly appeared on Grecan’s face vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by his usual stoic expression.

 

Mirania reached out and draped her arm over Grecan’s shoulder. Though his broad shoulders made it impossible to fully encircle him, the gesture was enough to convey warmth.

 

“Mirania?”

 

“Your mother must have been happy to have you. Just like that feline family earlier.”

 

“…”

 

“Balkan was twisted by his grief. It wasn’t that he truly hated you.”

 

Mirania, unaccustomed to offering comfort, chose her words carefully. She was more used to providing practical solutions than emotional empathy, and trying to console someone emotionally made her tongue feel tied.

 

“I don’t have parents, so I don’t know much about that, but…”

 

“You don’t need to comfort me. I don’t hate Balkan.”

 

“What?”

 

Mirania tried to turn to look at Grecan but stopped when she felt the weight of his head resting on her shoulder.

 

His calm voice flowed softly, “I didn’t understand before. But now I do. If I were in his place, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive either. If someone I loved died because of a child I’d never even seen, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive.”

 

“…”

 

“The thought of you ending up like that terrifies me,” Grecan murmured softly, intertwining his fingers with Mirania’s, holding them firmly.

 

“It doesn’t matter if they didn’t love or care for me. I had you.”

 

“…”

 

“I love you, Mirania.”

 

His voice, steady and resolute, carried his words to Mirania like a gentle breeze, yet as solid as a stone.

 

“Just a thought,”

 

Mirania spoke cautiously, “If you’re mistaking your feelings toward your parents for something else…”

 

“…”

 

Grecan pressed his lips together.

 

After a heavy, prolonged silence that made Mirania feel the weight of the moment, Grecan finally spoke.

 

“That kind of talk makes me a little angry.”

 

“It’s not that I’m dismissing your words. But isn’t love an awkward emotion to apply to a relationship like ours?”

 

“I know more about love than you do, Mirania.”

 

His firm statement left Mirania at a loss for words. She forced a frown, trying to mask her discomfort.

 

“Ah, listen here. You may have taken emotional lessons from me, but…”

 

“Even so, love…”

 

Grecan cut her off, his voice low and restrained.

 

“I know more about love than you do, Mirania.”

 

This time, Mirania fell silent.

 

She wanted to argue, but no suitable words came to mind, leaving her feeling unjustly frustrated.

 

💫

 

Grecan seemed to have changed a bit.

 

Mirania leaned back in her chair and slowly tilted her teacup.

 

The aroma was pleasant, and the warmth was comforting, but something felt lacking. Her taste buds, now accustomed to sweetness, longed for a chocolate latte.

 

‘Human inventions, whether objects or food, are truly addictive,’ she thought.

 

She set the cup down and turned her gaze toward the window, where Grecan was visible outside.

 

“Hah, hah!”

 

“Your lower body strength is weak. How can your posture fall apart after just that? Your legs are too frail.”

 

“I-it’s been an hour since I started swinging this sword…”

 

“Is that all?”

 

Grecan was instructing the children, who were now pouting as they resumed swinging their swords.

 

It was an unfamiliar sight, no matter how many times she saw it.

 

“He seems much kinder lately.”

 

Wigenia, who had just set down a tray of tea and snacks on the desk, smiled warmly.

 

“Who does?”

 

“Kan, of course.”

 

“…In what way?”

 

“Hehe.”

 

Wigenia, holding a teacup that exuded a sweet aroma, glanced out the window just as Mirania had.

 

“Since you and Kan joined the school, things have been getting better. Even the tea. We’ve moved past simple barley tea and can now enjoy fragrant blends like this.”

 

“When our plans succeed, everyone’s situation improves.”

 

“You’re our benefactor, Witch.”

 

Wigenia’s eyes shone with genuine warmth.

 

“Ah, and Kan too. He used to only speak with you, but lately, he’s been engaging with others more often. Of course, he still doesn’t say much, but…”

 

Wigenia stifled a laugh with her hand, her delicate eyes curving into crescents, accentuating her gentle beauty.

 

“He treats the children well too. It feels like he’s opened up to us. Even the kids who used to be scared of him now follow him willingly.”

 

“I see.”

 

Mirania nodded indifferently, but a faint smile lingered on her lips. She had noticed it too. Grecan blended in with humans far better than before.

 

Even without words, his willingness to help the children and his subtle shift in demeanor were clear to her, who had been observing him closely.

 

‘I never thought I’d feel this warmth for Grecan.’

 

There had been times when she felt lost, unsure of how to bring him back.