His Breeding Obsession Chapter 174 - Starting Sowing

Though the journey had been arduous and the fabric worn and faded, the letters of ‘Milgram’ embroidered by Wigenia were still clear.  

 

“We heard you left the school. We had no idea you’d be here, but this is truly amazing.”  

 

The mermaid Sogari’s eyes sparkled brightly. If Grecan hadn’t been there, she might have grabbed Mirania’s hands and shaken them enthusiastically.  

 

Even after descending to the ground, Grecan hadn’t let go of Mirania, acting as her plush chair. He subtly tightened his arm around her slender waist.  

 

“Amazing doesn’t even cover it. You’ve already planted hope in people’s hearts…”  

 

The mermaid Sogari exclaimed excitedly, but her voice trailed off as her expression darkened.  

Mirania glanced over their weary faces.  

 

Ray let out a deep sigh and muttered in a discouraged tone,  

 

“But will anything really change? The world is vast, and beast folk and humans still hate each other.”  

 

When Mirania stared at him intently, his expression grew awkward. Grecan, sitting on a rock with Mirania perched on his lap, was staring at him from behind her.  

 

Just meeting his gaze was enough to make Ray shrink back, his shoulders slumping slightly.  

 

‘Why is he looking at me like that?’  

 

Ray couldn’t possibly imagine that the legendary hero, rumored to overturn the earth with a single hand, was acting out of childish jealousy.  

 

Scratching the back of his head, Ray forced a smile.  

 

“I said something too weak, didn’t I? Don’t mind me. Before leaving the school, I thought I could do anything, but being chased by the Zoin tribe’s army really dented my confidence. Their army is so strong. They eat well, train hard, and…”  

 

As memories of being chased resurfaced, Ray’s face fell again.  

 

“Look at this.”  

 

Mirania pinched a small wheat grain between her fingers.  

 

Ray, the rest of the group, and even Grecan stared at the grain held between her fingers.  

 

With a slow, deliberate motion, Mirania dug a small hole in the bare ground at her feet and planted the grain.  

 

Pat, pat—her movements as she covered the hole with soil were as light as raindrops bouncing off leaves.  

 

“Within a few years, this land will become a bountiful wheat field. Even if not right now, someday it will.”  

 

Droplets of water formed in the air and trickled down onto the soil where the grain was planted.  

 

“Even if you don’t see immediate results, change begins the moment you decide to act and take the first step.”  

 

As the group, who had been gloomy just moments ago, stared at her blankly, Mirania spoke in a calm, almost indifferent voice.  

 

“Wherever you go, plant seeds. Start by planting wheat grains like this.”  

 

“…”  

 

“Then, someday, the whole world will be filled with abundant wheat and apples.”  

 

Mirania’s golden eyes shone mysteriously. Her gaze gave them hope, as if it truly could happen.  

Grecan, dazzled by her light, narrowed his eyes.

 

💫

 

After parting ways with the Milgram group, Grecan began flying with Mirania in his arms to find a place to stay.  

 

The members of Milgram seemed to want to stay together longer, but Grecan’s icy gaze kept them from speaking up.  

 

In the distance, a castle with pointed roofs came into view.  

 

As they flew toward the castle, Grecan remained silent for a long time.  

 

Mirania, who had been admiring the beautiful scenery ahead, tilted her head slightly. From this angle, she could see Grecan’s jawline, which looked surprisingly good—no, it was actually quite pleasing to the eye.  

 

“Mirania.”  

 

At the sudden call, Mirania inhaled sharply. She hadn’t been staring, but the fact that she had been observing him so intently felt oddly embarrassing. 

 

“What is it?”  

 

“I like you, Mirania.”  

 

His low voice seeped into her ears. Mirania froze.  

 

Though the words were soft enough to be drowned out by the wind, they stuck firmly in her mind.  

 

“I like you so much. More than anything in this world, more than myself, more than anything else I could ever compare it to.”  

 

Caught off guard by Grecan’s unfiltered confession, Mirania stiffened like a statue. Trapped in his embrace, she couldn’t move or even avoid his gaze.  

 

“Everything about you makes my heart race. I wish no one else could love you the way I do.”  

 

His jaw tightened, and his brow furrowed slightly.  

 

“Earlier, too. When those people were looking at you, I wanted to… but I know you’d scold me if I did.”  

 

Even as he spoke these chilling words, Grecan’s tone remained calm and matter-of-fact. His dark eyes swirled with a cold intensity. He closed his eyes briefly, then smirked faintly.  

 

“But, but even so. I won’t eliminate those who love you anymore. I won’t throw a tantrum demanding your affection, either. Likewise, I know now that it’s pointless.”  

 

Grecan lowered his head. Their eyes met.  

 

Mirania stared blankly at his hair, tousled by the wind.  

 

“I’ll just… work hard to make you accept me, to make you like me.”  

 

Grecan’s eyes, half-lidded, shimmered with emotions Mirania couldn’t quite grasp.  

 

Even with only half his gaze visible, she could tell his smile was genuine, coming from the heart. Mirania realized she knew too little to fully understand his feelings.  

 

‘No one can perfectly explain why one person loves another. That’s why I don’t understand. Why do you love me so much?’  

 

Though Mirania’s eyes were filled with doubt, she no longer dismissed Grecan’s feelings as a misunderstanding.  

 

His heart, which had once been violently rough, now enveloped her like a warm light.  

 

Mirania whispered with a sigh, “I like you too.”  

 

Grecan’s eyes widened, then clouded over. He soon gave a bitter smile.  

 

“You know that’s not what I mean.”  

 

Mirania’s expression turned troubled.  

 

“If you mean in a romantic sense, I’ve never thought of anyone that way—not you, nor anyone else.”  

 

Grecan shrugged, unfazed.  

 

“That’s a relief. If you had, I would’ve killed that person, even if you tried to stop me. I couldn’t bear that.”  

 

Mirania was at a loss for words. She blinked a few times and frowned.  

 

“You’re a wicked one. Don’t test me.”  

 

“I can’t help it if I like seeing you struggle because of me.”  

 

Mirania resigned, muttered under her breath, “You’re impossible.”  

 

Grecan smirked, clearly in a good mood.  

 

“But now, I can protect you. I’m the closest person to you right now.”  

 

“…”  

 

“The only one, before and after. I’ve always wanted to be that person for you.”  

 

The sheer magnitude of his affection left Mirania feeling drained.  

 

“I don’t really understand.”  

 

“It’s okay. I’m confident. I know what you like, even if you don’t.”  

 

Mirania cared for Grecan but didn’t love him. She didn’t even know what love was.  

 

If the emotion Grecan showed was love, then she had never loved anyone. She worried that Grecan might be disappointed and frustrated, but his confidence made her feel a little moved.

  

“Hah. What is it, then?”  

 

“For starters,”  

 

Grecan furrowed one eye as if thinking, then spoke with a boldness that bordered on shamelessness.  

 

“You like me because I’m a convenient replacement for a broomstick.”  

 

Mirania couldn’t help but let out a disbelieving laugh. She shot a sharp retort at Grecan, who was clearly enjoying himself.  

 

“Listen, Grecan, one does not engage in romantic relations with a broomstick.”  

 

He scowled deeply, and the childish expression made Mirania burst into laughter.

 

💫

 

“You can rest here. It’s the best room in our castle.”  

 

“Thank you.”  

 

“Thank you? Please, don’t mention it. You drove away that wretched Gangchi, after all. If I could, I’d do even more for you, but for now, my wife makes an incredible pheasant dish. You can look forward to it.”  

 

Leaving the lord’s earnest demeanor behind, Mirania and Grecan entered the room provided by the lord.  

 

“He said it’s the best room, but it seems like he’s given us his chamber.”  

 

“The smell of apricot seed oil…”  

 

Grecan sniffed the spout of a teapot and fiddled with an apricot.  

 

“It seems like this was the room of that beast man, not the lord. That guy must’ve lived in a better room than the lord.”  

 

“Whomever room it is, their hospitality is appreciated.”  

 

Mirania flopped onto the bed and muttered drowsily. She was quite tired after dealing with that beast man earlier.  

 

The castle with the pointed red roof, where they had planned to spend the night, had a lord, but it was in a state similar to the Imperial Palace.  

 

‘Grecan also placed a figurehead emperor on the throne and did as he pleased.’  

 

As she lay there, staring at Grecan, he noticed her gaze and quietly sat down beside her.  

 

Paximute Castle had long been ruled by a human lord who kept beastmen as vassals, but after the ruling classes of humans and beastmen were overturned, the castle’s order had fallen into chaos.  

 

One of the beast man clans that had rebelled had imprisoned the beastmen who cooperated with humans and were living lavishly.  

 

[That guy was a violent, hot-tempered brute even among our clan.]  

 

The beast-man brute, who had been acting like a king, screamed and fled with his underlings the moment Grecan stepped forward.  

 

In return for driving him away, Mirania and Grecan were given a comfortable place to rest, and Mirania thought things were turning out strangely.  

 

The fleeing beast-man was a brute, but according to the lord, he had close ties to the Imperial Palace.  

 

“Soon, the Imperial Palace will notice our movements here.”  

 

“Most likely.”  

 

Grecan gently played with Mirania’s hair, brushing it behind her ear.