His Breeding Obsession – Chapter 180

Author: Nikss

Grecan. Grecan, the High Lord and leader of the Wolf Clan. The idea of gentleness in him was almost unthinkable.

Though he could be difficult to control at times, causing occasional frustration, it had to be Grecan, filled with nothing but hatred, resentment, and rage.

Anyone else wouldn’t do.

‘This is dangerous.’

Grecan tapped his cheek with his fingers and gently stroked the elongated purple petals of the flower.

“I don’t really like plucking flowers. But the Crystal Chamber is too high to see them properly. Wouldn’t it be nice if I planted them in a pot and gave them to her?”

Hakan had to exert great effort to maintain his composure.

That childlike excitement, the nervousness about how the other person might feel—it was like watching a young man in love.

‘Pathetic and weak.’

He bit down hard on the inside of his lip.

‘Not yet. I already knew he had feelings for that witch. If it’s that woman from a hundred years ago, this reaction isn’t so strange. Jumping to conclusions will only ruin things, Hakan.’

Hiding his true thoughts, he spoke in a soft, soothing voice.

“Of course. I’ll have the servants bring a high-quality pot to your chamber.”

“No. Send it to me. I’ll choose and plant it myself.”

“How could you possibly do that yourself? I’ll arrange for a skilled gardener.”

“No. I’ll do it. Mirania will see and touch it—I can’t let someone else’s hands interfere.”

Hakan fell silent. He was displeased. So displeased that a surge of anger rose from the depths of his chest.

“But Hakan.”

“Yes, High Lord.”

“Why is my heart beating like this?”

Grecan turned his head slightly and looked at Hakan. Hakan’s heart dropped.

“My ears hurt. The pounding is too loud.”

“I-I must be surprised, seeing the High Lord like this for the first time.”

“Is that so?”

Grecan’s indifferent gaze made Hakan force an awkward smile.

“By the way, High Lord, the humans have been acting strange lately. We’ve banned gatherings of more than ten, but I’ve been seeing groups of five or six moving around frequently. It seems their rebellious nature is slowly creeping back…”

Hakan trailed off, watching Grecan’s reaction.

Seeing Grecan preoccupied with deciding, ‘Is this flower better, or that one?’ he gave up on probing further.

“I’m thinking of sending the army to sweep them out. It’s more fun—and more satisfying—to catch them all at once with a net rather than picking them off one by one, don’t you think?”

“…”

“Did you notice anything unusual while you were outside?”

His tone was casual. Grecan glanced at him.

Hakan exaggeratedly waved his hands in surprise.

“No, no, I didn’t mean anything by it. Of course, the High Lord wouldn’t just overlook insignificant humans! But wiping them all out at once isn’t an easy task, you know?”

“I don’t know.”

Thinking it was a joke, Hakan chuckled softly.

“They’re cleverer than I am, so I want to make sure we don’t make any mistakes this time. I was wondering if the High Lord might know something.”

“I don’t.”

When Grecan responded curtly, Hakan rolled his eyes, wondering, *Is he serious?*

“Then, will you prepare and lead the expedition?”

“…”

“It’s the Resistance! You used to go out to clear your mind, didn’t you? How about this time too?”

Grecan shook his head, and Hakan’s eyes widened in surprise.

Under Hakan’s scrutinizing gaze, Grecan replied with an annoyed tone.

“No. Handle it yourself. I’m not interested anymore.”

“Huh?”

Grecan, having finished selecting the flowers, wore a satisfied expression.

“What do you mean by that…”

Grecan’s direct gaze was unsettling.

“I said, handle it yourself.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

“Send the pot to me.”

As Grecan turned and walked back to the palace, Hakan gritted his teeth behind him.

Before Grecan completely disappeared, Hakan raised his voice.

“High Lord! I’ve heard that the leader of the rebel forces has been spotted in the back alleys of the imperial capital! What should we do about him?”

A final test.

“Handle it yourself.”

‘Damn it all!’

Suddenly, Grecan stopped in his tracks. Hakan’s face lit up.

’Yes. Of course, he’d want to deal with the rebel leader himself to feel satisfied!’

“High Lord?”

“Leave him be.”

“Huh?”

“Just let him go.”

“…”

“They’ll figure out how to survive on their own.”

“What do you mean…”

“I said to leave them alone.”

Grecan’s broad back grew distant.

Hakan’s expression turned to one of despair.

‘He’s lost it. He’s completely lost it. This is bad. It’s awful.’

A normal High Lord wouldn’t say something like that. Not even when it’s the leader of the rebels, not just some ordinary rebel.

‘No. This can’t be.’

Just leave them be? Let them survive on their own?

Humans aren’t creatures you can treat like that! They’re not ones to let your guard down around!

Though Hakan had always obediently followed orders, this time he vehemently rejected the command from the depths of his being.

Fear of Grecan and a sense of rebellion clashed fiercely within him.

Hakan shook his head roughly and gnawed at his nails. He often displayed a paranoid demeanor when faced with uncontrollable situations.

At such times, he would retreat to his collection room.

Locked in his personal space filled with all his precious and rare belongings, Hakan paced anxiously, unable to calm down.

[Cut their feathers. That way, they can’t escape.]

[Ah! Dad, it pecked me!]

[Is this thing insane, daring to harm my precious child? Cut off its beak. I should’ve clipped its wings when it was a fledgling.]

Hakan covered his ears. His fingers trembled violently.

Extreme confusion shook him to his core. This was different from other beast leaders betraying them.

If the High Lord sided with the humans, if he treated them gently, it meant the very foundation he stood on could completely crumble.

Hakan’s gaze shifted toward a corner where small boxes were stacked in layers.

Each box was securely locked, secretive, and hidden.

Hakan approached with unsteady steps and fidgeted with the lock on the topmost box.

‘Humans must never rise to prominence. No matter what it takes, that must be prevented.’

It was then.

[Use this when the Slaughterer tries to kill you.]

Hakan’s head snapped up.

Not long ago, Hakan had received a visit from a suspicious man.

The Black Veil. A member of the Black Veil Clan. The Death Clan. Among the various non-human races, they were the rarest and most peculiar.

Hakan had only heard of them but had never seen one in person. This man exuded a crude and dangerous aura.

What stood out were his eyes. Swollen and red, as if he had been crying profusely, they made his sinister grin all the more unsettling.

[I don’t know what that is, but I won’t accept it. You’re making me uncomfortable, so please leave. You seem unaware, but he doesn’t harm us. What he hates are humans, the Bat Clan, and you Black Veil people. Now I see why he dislikes you so much. Who wouldn’t hate someone so gloomy?]

The Black Veil man laughed as if crying. *Hue, hue.* The eerie sound sent shivers down Hakan’s spine.

[Why are you so sure?]

[Because we are useful. We are necessary for him to rule this vast continent.]

[Oh, is that what you think?]

The Black Veil man widened his eyes as if surprised by Hakan’s words.

Though his swollen eyes only twitched slightly.

[Do you really think he’s just watching you because of that? That monster consumed by hatred?]

[…]

[What a laughable and unbelievable reason.]

Hakan was angered by the man’s sharp mockery, but couldn’t immediately refute it because he hesitated.

The reason he couldn’t counter the man’s words right away—because he agreed with them, just a little.

A monster consumed by hatred.

[He is the one who tore apart our king and sealed him beneath his feet.]

Between the man’s rapidly moving lips, his low voice continued, seeping into Hakan’s ears.

[He is a man whose madness has reached its peak. Do you think that terrible madness won’t swallow you, too?]

Eventually, the man held out a small vial containing a black, translucent liquid.

Hakan, having taken it reflexively, frowned at the ominous feeling it gave him. The man chuckled darkly.

[There will come a time when you need it. Use it when your breath is being choked.]

[…]

[If using it on the Slaughterer proves difficult.]

The man’s lowered voice whispered sinisterly.

[Try using it on her.]

[Her?]

[Why act surprised? You already know. The Slaughterer’s weakness and heart. The Slaughterer’s heart will burst if it can’t endure it.]

💫

The Bear Clan leader, who was suddenly visited by Hakan, was sprawled in the central hall of the annex.

Due to the rain the previous night, the grass in the courtyard was soaked, so he had been moving various snacks by himself.

Besides the Bear Clan leader, who had his hands dipped in a jar of honey, sucking his fingers, lay a ladle that had been used to scoop the honey.

The Bear Clan leader, uncomfortable with the ladle, was using his hands.

A predator stripped of its pride.

‘Disgusting.’

Though Hakan was the one who had reduced him to this state, his contempt was another matter entirely.

Hiding his true feelings, Hakan wore a friendly smile.

“Hey, Hakan. What brings you here so suddenly?”

Hakan stopped him as he tried to get up.

“Oh, no need to get up.”

“I wasn’t planning to…”

Hakan squinted one eye, and the Bear Clan leader awkwardly looked down at his own body.

“It’d take a while to get up.”

“You’ve… put on a bit more weight, haven’t you?”

Before entering the imperial palace, his once firm muscles had all turned to fat.

When their eyes met, Hakan quickly masked his disdainful gaze.

“By the way… what brings you here?”

“I heard Lady Mirania was looking for you.”

“Oh, right, she was.”

The Bear Clan leader licked his palm and nodded sluggishly. Hakan’s eyes gleamed.

“I came because I was curious. Has there been anything unusual about him lately?”

“What do you mean?”

Hakan coated his words with honey, hiding the blade beneath.

“I’m starting to think he might have ideas that don’t align with the direction of our imperial palace. Our palace exists to monitor humans and protect the rights of beast folk, after all.”

“The rights of beast folk?”

The Bear Clan leader tilted his head, clearly not thinking along the same lines.

Hakan felt a surge of anger but suppressed it for now.

Punishment for this rudeness could wait until after the matter was settled.

“But it seems like he’s becoming more sympathetic toward humans. Wouldn’t that create conflict with us? He’s the High Lord’s lover, so if anything were to go wrong, it would be disastrous. Before I think about what to do, I wanted to check if I might be misunderstanding something. A misunderstanding! We can’t let something like that happen, can we?”

At Hakan’s smooth words, the Bear Clan leader sucked on the honey and muttered.

“He does seem quite interested…”

“What? Do you know something?”

Hakan leaned in closer, and the Bear Clan leader rolled his eyes to the left.

“Uh, no.”

Hakan narrowed his eyes.

‘He seems to know something but isn’t being honest. How dare he. Does he forget whose favor allows him to live so comfortably here?’

What could that woman from the Crystal Chamber have said to him? What could she have told him?

What could she have said to make this gluttonous bear act so indecisive?

His mind grew tangled.

“Really? So you don’t know anything? Are you sure?”

Hakan crossed his arms.