Chapter 85

Normally, she would have enthusiastically chirped about how they had Lord Letia’s exact eyes, but quickly reading the terrifyingly heavy atmosphere radiating from Grondil, she quietly placed the basket at the foot of Lino’s bed and slipped out.

The newly-sighted cubs, noses twitching, instinctually began to squirm, desperately trying to reach Lino. The sturdy basket rocked dangerously back and forth under their uncoordinated thrashing. Fearing they might pitch themselves off the bed entirely, Grondil clicked his tongue, scooped the basket up, and dragged Lino’s limp hand inside it.

Instantly, the triplets sprang to life. Despite their wobbly legs causing them to constantly crash into each other, their soft, wet noses homed in flawlessly on Lino’s hand. Pressing their snouts against his knuckles and palm, they inhaled deeply before shooting out their pink tongues to lick him enthusiastically. Grondil wiped Lino down with damp towels daily and slathered him in thick lotions to prevent dry skin, so the cubs were likely tasting nothing but perfumed moisturizers. Yet, thrilled beyond belief, they vigorously wagged their thick tails, happily gnawing and suckling on Lino’s fingers.

With every loud smack and slurp of their suckling, their round ears flicked back and forth with rapid intensity, resembling the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

They aggressively mumbled on Lino’s fingers with their smooth, toothless gums, emitting loud, contented nom-nom sounds. Their jaw strength was already formidable; Lino’s fingers quickly turned a bright, flushed red.

Grondil stood there for a very long time, simply watching them. He desperately wanted to pull Lino’s hand out of the basket to save it from the bruising pressure, but every time he met those vibrant green eyes, he found himself entirely unable to do so. Instead, he reached out and gently stroked their fluffy, puffed-up silver-gray fur. Befitting newborns, their coats were impossibly softer and lighter than his own coarse fur. So this is what they call ‘down’. He found himself suddenly realizing completely useless facts he had never once cared about in his entire life.

Grondil’s blistering hatred for the triplets melted away like snow the second he saw those eyes. Ultimately, the only reason he ever came to embrace his own children was entirely because of Lino.

Purr, purr. Phew, phew—

Faithfully executing the biological mandate that young beasts grow by sleeping for more than half the day, it didn’t take long for the triplets to drift off, emitting adorable, rhythmic snoring. Listening to the gentle sounds, Lino felt his own eyelids growing heavy.

“Are you going to fall asleep like this?”

Watching Lino’s blinks grow slower and heavier, Grondil asked while gently brushing the tangled bangs out of Lino’s eyes. Lino inwardly chuckled as he noticed the fur between Grondil’s brows twitch slightly. When Grondil was in his full beast form, it used to be impossible to read his expressions. Now, however, Lino felt he could read him like an open book—every shift in mood, every hint of displeasure, was glaringly obvious. The slight bulge at the side of his snout was a dead giveaway. He’s sulking.

Not only did he know Grondil was sulking, he knew exactly why. The triplets were monopolizing Lino, leaving absolutely no room for Grondil on the bed.

“Grondil. Can you get the baskets?”

“Baskets?”

Despite the confused response, Grondil dutifully retrieved them. Unlike before, there were now three separate baskets; the medium-dog-sized cubs had outgrown sharing and now required one each.

“Take them away since they’re asleep, and please, put me to bed.”

Taking the first basket, Lino carefully lifted Luce—the lightest of the three—and settled her gently inside.

“…”

Just as Lino reached for Rus on his right side, a massive hand suddenly snatched the cub up. In the blink of an eye, Grondil grabbed Lumo from the left side with his other hand and dumped both of them into their respective baskets on the floor. The baskets were far too massive to sit on a console or nightstand anymore. Still, despite the rough handling, his movements were carefully calibrated so as not to wake them.

Immediately summoning Enoch to haul the sleeping cubs back to their own quarters in the palace, Grondil didn’t climb into the spot Lino had just cleared for him. Instead, he scooped Lino entirely up into his arms.

“Grondil? Why aren’t you lying down…”

“We’re going to our bedroom.”

“Ah.”

“Ah? Did you genuinely think I was going to sleep here?”

Do you really think I’m going to sleep in a bed absolutely saturated with their fur? At the low, vibrating growl, Lino buried his flushing cheeks into Grondil’s chest fur. However, the rapidly spreading crimson on his ears and nape was glaringly obvious. Swallowing the heavy accumulation of saliva in his mouth, Grondil aggressively quickened his pace.

Lino’s bedroom was directly connected to Grondil’s by a single adjoining door. Throwing it open without hesitation, Grondil strode inside. He carefully laid Lino down on the colossal bed—one so massive the triplets could sprint across it without falling off—before bracing his arms on either side of Lino’s head, caging him in from above.

Staring up into the burning intensity of Grondil’s gaze, Lino blinked sleepily and asked,

“…Do you want to?”

“Isn’t that glaringly obvious?” Grondil replied, his voice a deep, guttural rasp.

An explosive urge to rip the pajamas right off Lino’s body, force his thighs apart, and bury himself to the hilt inside that tight hole flared violently within him. Yet, Grondil forced a strained, gentlemanly smile, desperately masking the raging beast beneath.

However, the polite curve of his lips did absolutely nothing to hide the blizzard of raw, suffocating lust swirling in his blue-gray eyes. Holding that searing gaze, Lino slowly opened his mouth.

“I mean, we can… but…”

Dammit. Grondil ground his teeth, muttering a curse under his breath. He used to think Lino was just a cute, innocent little chick, but ever since experiencing that bizarre morning sickness, Lino had become shockingly bold sexually, acting more like a sly fox who had tumbled into a honey pot. If Lino were an Isbergian beastkin instead of a human, he undoubtedly would have been a fox with gleaming golden fur, oversized ears, and a massive, bushy tail.

A fox with green eyes, fox ears, and a fluffy tail.

Shifting back into his human form, Grondil allowed his imagination to run wild with the image of Lino as a fox. Even if Lino couldn’t achieve a full beast transformation like him, a partial one would be more than enough. Should I have someone procure a set of fox ears and a tail? He immediately began plotting to strap them onto Lino and relentlessly ravage him the moment his stamina and muscle mass returned to normal levels.

I need to put a bit more flesh on him first. Grondil slid off Lino, settling beside him and pulling him into a tight embrace. Though currently in his human form, his overwhelmingly larger frame easily caged Lino within his arms.

“Get some deep sleep, and let’s have dinner together when you wake,” he murmured.

“Ugh… another restorative meal?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You need to put on some weight so I can at least use this,” Grondil replied, reaching down to stroke Lino’s thigh. What used to be firm, muscular thighs were now so thin that a gap remained even when he pressed his legs together. Still, Lino grumbled that he had gained weight compared to when he first woke up.

Wrapping an arm around Lino’s back, Grondil patted him with a massive hand—a silent command to stop complaining and sleep.

Burying his forehead and nose into Grondil’s firm, smooth chest, Lino closed his eyes. He recalled how, in the past, the loneliness of sleeping alone had forced him to wrap his own arms around himself, curling into a tight ball under the blankets to avoid exposing even an inch of skin to the freezing air. It hadn’t cured the crushing loneliness, but it was the best he could do.

Not anymore. He now fell asleep in Grondil’s arms multiple times a day, so often that the memory of those lonely nights was growing hazy. He would close his eyes enveloped in the beast’s thick fur, rubbing his cheek against that smooth chest as he exhaled peacefully. Lately, he even slept cuddling the triplets, their radiant body heat making blankets entirely unnecessary.

I’m so happy. Even as his consciousness faded, the sheer comfort of Grondil’s embrace filled Lino with profound joy. Yet, the familiar shadow of anxiety reared its head. Conditioned by a life of relentless misfortune, any fleeting moment of happiness usually terrified him, bracing him for the inevitable backlash.

Now, however, he could quickly shake off that fear, all thanks to the dream he’d had right before waking from his month-long coma.

—You have endured well.

Whenever that single, short phrase echoed in his mind, his heart melted. Reassured that he had paid his dues and only needed to enjoy the reward, Lino willingly surrendered to the heavy pull of sleep, a soft smile automatically curving his lips.

Confirming Lino had fallen into a deep slumber, Grondil let out a soft chuckle, his fingertips gently tracing the soft curve of Lino’s smiling lips as a matching grin graced his own face.

“Hurry up and get healthy,” he whispered. “Your husband’s cock feels like it’s going to fucking explode.”

He genuinely couldn’t hold back much longer. Deliberately exhaling a scalding sigh against Lino’s nape, Grondil pulled the slender body even tighter against his own, tangling their arms and legs together to obliterate every millimeter of space between them.

He ruthlessly ignored the painfully rigid bulge tenting his groin. He had to let Lino recover just a little more before taking him, lest he accidentally trigger another catastrophic physical collapse and condemn himself to stabbing his own thighs in frustration for another month.

From the adjacent room, the muffled sounds of Enoch ushering the triplets out filtered through the walls, accompanied by the distinct whining of freshly awakened cubs. Grondil ignored that, too. Those brats had forced Lino to take his nap an hour early. Ugly little punks. Even as he mentally scolded Rus, Luce, and Lumo, the fond smile refused to leave his face. He couldn’t help but wonder if Lino had been exactly like that as a child. Had he been raised by normal parents in a loving family, Lino probably would have whined and fussed just as much as the triplets.

I hope young Lino visits my dreams. 

Burying his nose into the crown of Lino’s head, Grondil inhaled deeply and finally let himself drift off.

***