The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 20

#20.

Feverish Chichi looked pitiful at a glance. It seemed like her small body wouldn’t even last through the day. When Jerarkiel repeatedly urged her with his eyes, Merina reluctantly opened her mouth.

“It would be good to put a pheromone barrier to prevent the effects of the mist, but…”

“That’s all I need?”

Jerarkiel asked back, pressing her. Merina hesitated, unable to readily agree, and continued speaking, unable to resist Jerarkiel’s intense gaze.

“But Jerarkiel-nim hasn’t been here long either, so your body will definitely be strained.”

“Are you worried about me now?”

Merina pursed her lips at Jerarkiel’s mocking question.

Indeed, there was no way the heir of Xavis would be struggling with just this much. However, what was puzzling was why he was going to such lengths to take care of Chichi.

She was just an abandoned beastkin. She was only now starting to humanize, but she was developing slower than other beastkins and might have a weak constitution for the rest of her life.

She couldn’t understand why he was showing so much care to such a creature. It couldn’t simply be because of Chichi’s unique pheromones; Xavis was a powerful family even without that.

Logically, the pairing of a black lion and a white ferret made no sense.

‘Wasn’t the young master said to be indifferent, as if detached from worldly affairs?’

Merina didn’t know what to make of Jerarkiel’s actions, which were so different from the rumors. Since he wasn’t yet an adult, the restrictions on pheromones would be even greater in Hebel [a location with specific pheromone regulations].

But if she kept stopping him like this and something happened to Chichi, she couldn’t guarantee her own safety. Judging by that crazed look in his eyes, he would probably hold her responsible and kill her first.

However, if she let him help Chichi as she was and something happened to Jerarkiel, that would be a shortcut to death in its own way, because Zakari, the head of the Xavis family, was here.

‘This is why I hate beasts…’

It was when she was tearing her hair out, unable to do anything, that Ivan opened his mouth in a flurry.

“Yes, you don’t have to worry about our young master, Merina. Our young master is sturdier than you think, so even if he suffers a little… ahem.”

Of course, he didn’t finish his sentence and quickly shut his mouth. Perhaps if he had said one more word, his lips would have been cut off.

Merina wished she could just cut off that mouth herself, and she became regretful. Ivan was the most talkative of the lion beastkins, so it was too noisy when he was around, and she couldn’t concentrate at all.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Merina had no choice but to bow politely. It seemed like it was already too late to stop him from doing what he wanted to do anyway.

She just hoped that Chichi would successfully humanize. Merina took only simple first aid measures and returned to her room with Ivan.

The room became quiet before she knew it. Jerarkiel was staring intently at Chichi. Suddenly, Chichi waved her front paws in the air.

In a desperate movement, as if looking for a lifeline to grab, Jerarkiel unconsciously reached out his hand.

Then Chichi grabbed his finger and fell asleep again. Her white, fluffy front paw, holding on tightly as if afraid to run away, was endearing.

Such a tenacious grip even in a hazy state. Jerarkiel unknowingly relaxed and let out a chuckle.

Following that, she was shivering as if cold, so after covering her with a blanket, he sat down next to Chichi.

To form a pheromone barrier in Hebel, the closer the distance, the better.

Normally, the distance wouldn’t matter, but this was Hebel. There was no harm in being careful.

Jerarkiel’s pheromones spread widely, centering on the bed.

The space, free from the effects of the mist, was filled with his energy. As Merina said, Chichi’s breathing became more comfortable after applying the pheromone barrier.

Chichi’s body was small and cozy. Her fragile body, as if it would break with just a little force, felt unfamiliar.

At that time, a sweet pheromone scent emanated faintly around her. Naturally, Jerarkiel’s eyes drooped languidly.

“It smells delicious.”

As Chichi’s pheromones became more intense, his body became languid, similar to the sensation he felt when she bit him.

Such comfortable pheromones that relaxed his whole body in a pleasant way.

He was feeling such pheromones for the first time in his life.

In fact, Jerarkiel’s pheromones were the most sensitive alluring pheromones among the closed pheromones [pheromones that are typically imperceptible to others].

As strong as its power was, the backlash was great, so its exclusivity to other pheromones was higher than that of typical closed pheromones.

Therefore, it was common for him to feel discomfort from other people’s pheromones. There were not many beastkins who could come close to him or even smell him without him getting annoyed.

Wrapping a pheromone barrier around his body to block surrounding pheromones was a daily routine for Jerarkiel.

But Chichi’s pheromones were not unpleasant. It was a strange feeling for Jerarkiel, who sometimes found even his own pheromones unpleasant.

Jerarkiel swallowed, feeling an unknown thirst. The more intense Chichi’s pheromones became, the deeper his thirst seemed to grow.

“This might be a little dangerous.”

Jerarkiel brought his unheld hand to his mouth and sighed lowly. The space was sealed off by the pheromone barrier, making it even more stimulating.

Chichi’s pheromones became even more intense as time passed. Jerarkiel, faced with an unexpected crisis, tensed his body.

But in the end, unable to overcome the languor, Jerarkiel began to doze off next to Chichi.

* * *

Hot.

No, cold.

After fighting the heat, I reached out for warmth in the face of a sudden, freezing cold. Fortunately, I grabbed something warm nearby and stuck close to it.

But I became a little annoyed at the warmth that kept moving away.

“Why are you running away…”

At the plaintive voice, it flinched. It was the moment I stuck close again and held her waist tightly to prevent her from running away.

“Are you awake…?”

A sweet, beautiful voice rang in my ear. The moment I unknowingly raised my head at the familiar voice, I met golden eyes.

“!”

“Hello?”

Jerarkiel greeted me with a smiling face. Somehow, his focus was slightly off, as if it was awkward for him to look at me straight.

I blankly stared at him. He felt smaller than usual.

His face always seemed so huge.

Today, it felt like he and I were about the same size. As I blinked in confusion, Jerarkiel said.

“I think it would be better to get off me.”

“Huh…?”

“You’ve humanized now.”

“Hup!”

Come to think of it, my voice came out. I was startled and looked at my hands. The slender fingers were clearly human.

“Wow!”

I really became human!

Goodbye to the years of living as a ferret and being frustrated because I couldn’t communicate! Now I’m also a proper humanized beastkin!

It was when I was internally dancing with joy that I suddenly felt a chilly sensation on my body, like being naked in nature with not even a thread on.

Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered that you were naked when you first humanized.

‘Could it be…’

I stiffened and creaked as I looked down. I didn’t know because I was in the blanket, but I wasn’t wearing clothes.

“Gasp!”

“Merina went to get clothes.”

“…”

“I’m saying this in case you misunderstand, but I was next to you because you wouldn’t let go of me.”

Jerarkiel’s excuse, which wasn’t an excuse, rang in my head.

So, I’m now clinging to Jerarkiel in a natural state?

Of course, even though it’s a child’s appearance, this was a bit embarrassing.

Somehow, a chilling thrill ran from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. With a face flushed with shame, I shuffled back and wrapped the blanket tightly around my body.

“D, don’t look.”

“Okay, I didn’t see anything.”

“Liar!”

“Yeah, I’m lying.”

Jerarkiel mumbled languidly and swept his hair back.