The Forging of Bonds

Karvan returned to my side as usual when it was dinnertime.

“What is it.”

I had asked the Sura for ice packs and put them on my eyes, and had washed my face several times, but he asked as soon as he saw me.

“Huh? Uh, what?”

“Why were you crying.”

‘Is it because he’s a beast, his observation skills are good, or did he smell the saltiness?’
‘I had cried a bit after sending the Sura away, and he had noticed it like a ghost.’

“Mmm, I was taking a Varg language lesson earlier, and Mashak read me a sad fairy tale…”

‘I was moved because they had called me family, and I had cried alone.’
It was hard to say that, so I just mumbled that it was nothing.
As he looked at me intently, he sat on the bed and gestured with his hand.

“…Why?”

‘What is he trying to do now?’
As I looked at him suspiciously, he took something out of his pocket and held it out.

[Cherry Blossom Earring: An exquisitely crafted crystal earring. (Creator: Karvan Baharga)]

The object, which was ridiculously small compared to his large hands, was an earring.

Whether it was made by dyeing a crystal, it was so small yet looked like a real cherry blossom petal.
‘So that’s why the blacksmith Akal had been so surprised and hiding something, it was because of this.’

“Did you, did you make this for me?”

He glanced at me as if asking an obvious question, then opened the clasp and put it on me himself.
It was a dainty flower shape that was comfortable and stuck right to my ear.

As I approached the mirror and was fiddling with my earlobe, Karvan was standing behind me at some point.
He tucked a few stray strands of hair behind my ear and stared at me intently through the mirror.

“It’s pretty.”

“…Huh?”

“I can’t take my eyes off it.”

My ears burned at his indifferently thrown words.
He must have been talking about the earring, but why was I.

“U-uh, yeah.”

To hide my face, which must have turned red, I just fiddled with my earlobe and lowered my head.

“By the way, where did you find such a pretty flower pattern?”

“I made it by copying your stigma.”

‘Ah.’
‘Come to think of it, the shape of the earring was exactly the same as the ‘Stigma Theory’ mark engraved on the man’s neck.’
‘It was exactly the same, only the expression of the stamen was a bit more exquisite.’

“Because the Varg’s imprint is not visible on the outside.”

“Are you putting on a new identification tag so I can’t run away?”

I said it playfully and pointed to my empty neck.

“…Can I really take it off? You’re not going to go to the Fox tribe again, are you?”
“I’ve confirmed that I’m not the only one holding you, so I don’t need it anymore.”

The day he had returned from the Igra’s nest, Karvan had let me take off the <Pet Collar> he had put on me.
While saying something I couldn’t understand.

“But why an earring of all things?”

“Because your décolletage and hands are too cold to leave bare, and you didn’t seem to like hairpins.”

If you look closely, he has good observation skills and is very meticulous.

‘That’s what you call a real OP, a broken character.’
As I was reluctantly fiddling with my ear, the man who had approached me suddenly bit the earring.

“Ugh, what are you doing!”

As he gently rolled my earlobe with the tip of his tongue, I was startled by the strange sensation and covered my ears, and he laughed softly.

“This way, it’ll get broken in faster, wouldn’t it?”

Unlike when he used to just smile with his lips, his eyes had started to laugh along at some point.

The bright yellow eyes that curved like a half-moon were so nice to look at…. Ah, no!
What was so nice about it!
I denied the thought that had come to me without thinking and said sullenly.

“Wha-what are you breaking in an earring for? You gave it to me to tease me again, right?”

“I gave it to you because you’re pretty.”

“……”

“You.”

‘…He is teasing me!’
As his lips curved up languidly when our eyes met, I became a mute who had eaten honey and just rubbed my cheeks, which were burning as if they would explode.

Dinner time as usual.
As I was taking a bite of the baked apple that came out for dessert, my eyes met Karvan’s.
His eyebrows had been slightly furrowed since earlier, and his expression was one of displeasure.

“……”

Even when I awkwardly avoided his gaze, he was so persistent that it was hard to swallow, so I couldn’t take it anymore and asked.

“…What’s wrong?”

“What’s the reason you peck at the meat and only eat the fruit every time.”

‘Is that why you were glaring at me like that?’
I looked at the man with a dumbfounded expression.

“What are you talking about, I ate a lot of meat too.”

“You didn’t even eat half.”

“Eating half of that big thing is a lot!”

I thought my jaw was going to fall off from chewing.
I pointed to the piece of meat the size of a large mocha bread with a wronged expression, but the man didn’t even pretend to listen.
He just stared at the plate with the leftover food with a displeased expression, his chin propped on his hand.

“It’s worrying that you have a small appetite.”

“…You keep forgetting, but I’m human, you know? My stomach isn’t magical like you beast-kin.”

“So you should eat better. Since you fall ill at the drop of a hat.”

‘This, bastard.’
‘He said that even the Varg collapse when they get the imprint sickness, so why is he only picking on me!’
As I was about to retort with my eyes wide, my words were cut short by the wild berry that was suddenly pushed into my mouth.

“The decoction.”

“My throat has been healed for three million years.”

“It’s for stamina recovery. It’s not bitter, so just drink it.”

‘Anyone who sees me would think I’m on my deathbed.’
Sighing, I accepted the decoction bowl the man held out.
As soon as I had finished the bowl with a scrunched-up face, he scooped me up, and this time, he put me in a hot bath and started to boil me.

“…You know. By any chance.”

As I was leaning against the man’s chest, I asked him suspiciously as he was stroking my wet hair after I had just finished my bath.

“You’re not planning to fatten me up and eat me, are you?”

‘Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?’
As I swallowed my words and looked up, the corner of his inverted lips was unusual.
The touch of his hand as he caressed my wet hair strand by strand became strange.

“It’s not entirely wrong.”

‘Ugh.’
I had let it slip without thinking and then quickly lowered my eyes, and he grabbed my chin and made me meet his gaze.

The meeting eyes were a murky dark color, like a snowfield that had melted helplessly and become a muddy pit.
Before, I would have just found such a gaze scary and burdensome.

“……”

Now, I’m scared of my own body, which reacts to just that gaze.

“I want to hold you, my queen.”

The man, as always, did not hide his desires.

“What about you.”

But unlike before, he asked for my opinion.

He didn’t just bite my imprint vein and attack me without a second thought like before, nor did he press his lips against mine first, but he handed me the leash himself.

“…If I say no, will you not hold me?”

I looked at his thirst-filled eyes anxiously and gathered the courage to ask.

“Yes.”

The wolf answered immediately.

“I will not mate with you until you want me.”

“……”

“Do you not like it.”

On the other hand, I couldn’t answer.

“…I-I…”

Normally, the words should have come out immediately.

‘I don’t want you, I’m not going to do it with you anymore, I feel like I’ve done a hundred years’ worth of it all at once.’
‘I should have scolded him happily.’

“……”

Just by meeting his gaze, my lower abdomen ached and expected something.

‘What do I do. I think I’ve become a pervert.’
As I was on the verge of tears and just chewing on my lip, the man reached out his hand.

“I’ll wait.”

He whispered as he slowly caressed my lower lip, making me feel embarrassed for having recoiled as if having a seizure.

Like an experienced hunter waiting for a scared prey that wouldn’t come out of its burrow, he just held me, who was avoiding his gaze, in his arms and pressed our foreheads together.

“I hope you, too, will want me soon.”

“……”

“As much as I do.”

His unwavering golden eyes were like the sand of a desert before a storm.
A sticky, wet sand that would suck you in endlessly if you stepped on it.

Karvan, as promised, did not have s*x with me without my permission.

“How are you today, my queen.”

“…H-here, let’s hold hands and sleep.”

Although he would ask me every day if I wanted him, if I expressed my refusal, he would not force me to mate anymore.

“Ah, ugh! Do you think I’m a chew toy?!”

“You have to allow a starving dog this much.”

“You said you were a wolf at one point…!”

Of course, he would hold me in his arms and leave bruises all over my skin until it was bright red, but I could let that much go.
Because I knew how much he was holding back just by looking at the fully swollen lower half of his body that was touching me.

“Akal, good morning!”

“Oh my, Shinbi-nim. It’s good to see you so energetic in the morning.”

Thanks to that, I was able to wander around with my unintentionally surplus energy.

Normally, I would be exhausted after just one walk, but now I was at a point where I could go to the blacksmith and pound on the anvil without a problem.

“Oh my, my heart is pounding. What are you going to do if you hurt your hand.”

“It’s okay. How’s this? I made it for you, Akal. You won’t get burned even if you touch something hot.”

“You’re so skilled. I’ll cherish it as a family heirloom.”

I had recently gotten into the fun of making armor.
I would ask the blacksmith Akal for an anvil, disassemble junk items, and then make a new artifact with the materials.

[Rockbear Gauntlet (S): A gauntlet made from the hide of a Rockbear. Its attack power increases by the amount of damage absorbed.]

“How is it?”

“It suits you perfectly!”

When an Awakener makes clothes, a mark is always left.
Before, I had to hold back from making and giving items because my name, ‘Creator: Shinbi-jui,’ would be left on it, but now I could freely share the equipment I made with the Varg.
Since the Sura would get the materials for me, I never ran out.

“Here, if you have this, you won’t be cold. If the heat runs out, you can put it in the furnace for about an hour and then use it again.”

[Salamander’s Hot Pack (A): A talisman made by extracting a salamander’s fire pouch. Having it greatly reduces the probability of the <Freeze> status abnormality.]

“Wow, this is amazing!”

“How can the Valtael be so skilled?”

For the Varg who already had good armor or weapons, I made things that were necessary for daily life.
Fortunately, they all seemed to like them.

“Shinbi-nim!”

As I was out for a walk to take a short break, Tegen, who I thought had disappeared to clear the lunch table, immediately followed me.

“Are you going for a walk?”

“Yeah, you can go and do your work. I’ll go by myself.”

Since that day, most of the Varg had let go of their hostility towards me.

Now that there was no one who would openly attack me, and they knew that I wouldn’t be easily defeated because I was an Awakener, they would just follow me around, saying they liked walking with me.

“Wow, the weather is so nice today!”

It wasn’t just empty words, as Tegen looked very happy.

“It was snowing so much in the morning, but as soon as Shinbi-nim came out, it’s so bright!”

“Look in front of you. Tegen. What are you going to do if you fall while walking like that.”

“Haha! It’s fine! Thanks to the sturdy armor Shinbi-nim made for me, I’ll be fine even if I roll a hundred times!”

Tegen was excited, swinging the hand with the gauntlet I had made for him yesterday.
He was dressed in such glittering armor that he could have been mistaken for a user at first glance.

As he was excitedly jumping up and down and walking ahead, Tegen suddenly stopped.

“…Tegen?”

I was almost about to bump into his back, and I looked up at him in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s the black mane bastards.”

A fierce growl mixed with his cheerful voice.