"Oh no…"
After her blissful soak in the hot spring, Aurelia Delensar realized she had a serious problem.
—She had forgotten to bring a towel and her nightgown. Everything was in Caelum Valtaris's pack.
Usually, such trivialities were handled by her maids. The princess only had to enjoy the service. The rough-and-tumble knight rarely considered such details.
Aurelia huddled in the spring, her wet golden head peeking out as she looked at the dark-skinned knight ten meters away.
"Nini, walk backward toward me. Don't turn your head," she said, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "I forgot to bring a towel and my nightgown."
Worried he might trip while walking backward, Aurelia offered, "I'll guide you. Don't worry!"
But the forest was dim at night, and Aurelia couldn't see clearly either. She hesitated, then amended, "Or… turn around, but keep your eyes closed!"
Caelum obeyed, turning and shutting his eyes tightly.
Just as he was about to step forward—
"Wait!"
The princess's sharp voice stopped him.
The tall, imposing man stood at the edge of the pool, the moonlight casting a shadow over his features, leaving only a sharp, imposing silhouette.
Aurelia, crouched in the spring, looked up at him from below.
Every step he took felt like a predator closing in on its prey, the pressure overwhelming.
The helpless prey, unclothed and vulnerable.
Nowhere to run.
It was strange.
Aurelia's throat tightened with sudden tension.
Even though she was certain the Bloodbound Oath ensured Caelum would obey her commands—never opening his eyes or threatening her—the feeling of being watched lingered, growing stronger as he approached.
Aurelia ducked under the water, hiding for a long moment before slowly resurfacing, bubbles rising around her.
"Turn back around…"
The knight didn't question her. He turned away again.
Aurelia exhaled in relief.
"Nini, start walking. Ah, half a step to the left!… Too much, move right a bit! Yes, that's it. Now, a little further back, just a tiny bit…"
The quiet forest was filled with the princess's chattering voice.
Aurelia focused intently, her large eyes more serious than ever. She had promised not to let him trip, and she intended to keep that promise.
But the clumsy giant's long legs nearly sent him tumbling into the pool.
"—Stop!!"
The princess shouted in frustration. "Nini, you're so hopeless!"
The knight apologized, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I can't see the path."
"Ah… never mind. I wasn't really scolding you."
Aurelia's tone softened.
She knew she could be spoiled, often treating Caelum harshly even when he hadn't done anything wrong.
"…"
Meanwhile, the knight, with his back to the princess, felt no such remorse.
How could he not see the path?
Caelum's senses were sharp. Even without his eyes, he could perfectly discern every detail of his surroundings.
He just… wanted to hear her voice.
Soft and sweet, calling his name.
Her focused expression was adorable, as if her entire being was devoted to him.
Only him.
The man's bangs shadowed his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Splash."
An arm rose from the water, glistening like silver glaze on the finest porcelain.
Aurelia swam to Caelum's back and poked him.
She emphasized again, "Don't turn around. Hand me the towel behind your back."
Her fingertip was soft and warm, the sensation seeping through his thin shirt, leaving a faint dampness.
Caelum's muscles tensed instantly.
Then he forced himself to relax, ensuring Aurelia noticed nothing amiss.
To the princess, the knight was always loyal and upright.
But in secret, his ears perked up.
Listening to the sound of water rippling behind him, the princess rose from the spring.
She unfolded the towel, roughly wringing out her hair, droplets falling to the ground.
The towel moved gently, inch by inch, over her still-warm skin, the soft fabric absorbing every bead of water.
"Drip," "drip."
The droplets from her hair seemed endless, stretching time infinitely.
And the knight and his princess seemed frozen in this moment, so close yet forbidden from turning to embrace her.
Sweet, yet torturous.
The knight endured, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
The scent of roses from Aurelia's skin, intensified by the spring, enveloped him, intoxicating and inescapable.
But Aurelia wasn't finished.
Her boldness seemed to grow as she carelessly shoved the damp towel back into the knight's hands, treating him like a human clothes rack.
She reached out to take her nightgown from his other hand.
A flash of pale skin.
Caelum's breath hitched, his blood nearly reversing course.
Aurelia, oblivious to his turmoil, deftly tied the ribbons of her gown and chirped, "All right, time for bed!"
Caelum: "…"
The knight quickly glanced down.
As the princess skipped around to his side, Caelum abruptly turned away, bending slightly to hide the obvious evidence of his arousal.
His voice was low and oddly stiff. "Your Highness, I'd like to bathe."
Aurelia blinked. "…Oh."
Fine, she hadn't said no.
Was he worried she'd peek?
Aurelia stifled a laugh.
Though a small part of her admitted she was curious about Caelum's body. Having rarely seen any men outside her family in the palace, she wondered how his hard, muscular frame differed from hers.
But her upbringing as a lady forbade such indecent behavior.
As a noble princess, bathing in the wilderness with only a knight nearby was already scandalous.
Aurelia smiled. "You did well just now, Nini. Go ahead and bathe."
She reached up to pat his back, the height difference allowing her only to reach his shoulders.
But the body beneath her palm shuddered.
The tall, strong man even let out a low, strained groan, as if enduring immense pain.
Aurelia's smile froze. "?"
The next second, the dark-skinned knight vanished like a whirlwind.
A loud splash echoed from the nearby stream, water spraying everywhere.
"Hey—!" Aurelia stared, dumbfounded, before slowly blinking. She muttered, "Does Nini not like hot baths?"
After soaking in the icy water until he was thoroughly cooled, the black wolf climbed ashore, quickly shaking off the water.
When he returned to the princess, he was fully dressed. "Your Highness, let's find an inn tomorrow night. I think a storm is coming."
Though there were suitable caves for shelter in the wild…
The knight glanced at the nearly full moon in the night sky and chose to remain silent.
Aurelia was holding a small golden comb, struggling to tame her unruly hair.
The princess's hair was thick, divided into two braids that hung like blooming sunflowers. She tugged at the tangled ends, quickly growing impatient. With a huff, she handed the comb to Caelum, treating him as her personal maid.
Aurelia said, "I was just about to tell you, I need to go shopping tomorrow."
The knight asked, "What do you need to buy?"
Aurelia didn't answer, instead counting on her fingers. "I'll need to find a bustling town to get what I want."
She was too embarrassed to tell Caelum directly, planning to visit the shops herself.
The knight, ever the paragon of virtue, didn't press. He nodded. "Understood."
He would arrange everything.
Seeing the princess had no further instructions, the knight knelt behind her, patiently and gently combing her golden hair.
Her soft locks flowed like silk, glowing in the moonlight.
So smooth they nearly slipped from his rough, calloused hands. The curled ends seemed to hook into the softest part of his heart.
His body, cooled by the icy stream, began to heat up again.
The knight swallowed hard.
He fought to stay focused, carefully untangling her hair.
But in the still night air, a sweet, intoxicating fragrance wafted from the princess.
Like a night-blooming flower, its delicate petals bared before the beast.
Sweeter and more potent than usual, it enveloped the knight.
His barely maintained composure began to crumble.
His head swam, his palms grew hot.
His movements slowed.
Then, a faint scent of blood reached his nose.
Almost imperceptible.
But not to a Lycan's senses.
It exploded in his mind.
Caelum froze, the shock snapping him out of his haze.
He knew what Aurelia wanted to buy.
Her cycle was approaching.
The princess's health was fragile, and her cycle had only begun a few times since she came of age. Such matters were usually handled by experienced maids, and Caelum had been absent during those times.
He had no idea.
Caelum's expression darkened.
The usually stoic man frowned, his face grim.
After a long moment.
His deep golden eyes turned to the moon.
Its halo was pure and white, hanging silently in the sky.
But upon closer inspection, the outermost ring was tinged with red.
A blood moon.
Every twenty years, the continent experienced a blood moon, driven by magical elements and tidal patterns.
On this day, the moon's influence on Lycans was strongest, awakening the most violent and primal instincts in their blood. The stronger the bloodline, the more pronounced the transformation, leading to uncontrollable regression.
Caelum, inheriting the strongest Lycan bloodline, was most affected.
As a child, he couldn't control his power, often unable to take human form. On full moon nights, he would go berserk, and even the strongest warriors couldn't subdue him.
It was his father, the Lycan leader, who accidentally found a solution.
—Aurelia Delensar, princess of the Kingdom of Delensar.
Her presence calmed him.
By her side, the frenzied wolf would grow quiet, docile to an astonishing degree.
For all these years, unknown to Aurelia.
Caelum had watched her grow.
But the greedy Lycan couldn't be satisfied with merely gazing at his moon from the shadows.
A Lycan's possessiveness was irrational, and the strongest among them naturally claimed the right to choose their mate.
Caelum could have taken Aurelia by force, locking her away and making her his wife.
But he didn't want to hurt her.
So he endured, carefully approaching his princess while letting his desires run wild.
Any external trigger could shatter his control.
The scent of Aurelia's blood was the most irresistible temptation for the long-starved Lycan.
Caelum made a decision:
—Tomorrow, they must find a safe place to stay. The next seven days would be spent there.
The knight gripped the small comb.
His knuckles whitened.
By the time Caelum regained his composure, the princess had fallen asleep.
She sat there, her head tilted, like a flower waiting to be plucked.
Caelum: "…"
He forced his gaze away from her pale neck, his fangs fully exposed. It took all his willpower not to bite into that delicate skin.
"…"
"Splash!"
The sleeping princess frowned.
She thought she heard something plunge into the water.
The sound of splashing.