At that time, 'he' had already issued instructions to eliminate him immediately without hesitation if it was determined that there was even the slightest possibility of him causing harm.
If you are not more careful, you might lose the chance to protect her forever.
He extended his claws and scratched the floor, but soon realized the gravity of his actions and stopped moving. As the messy carpet caught his eye, his already troubled mood subsided even further.
At some point, it began to feel increasingly difficult to control one's own behavior.
It felt as if he harbored a burning fire inside his body. Anxiety, nervousness, and an inexplicable excitement constantly floated through his blood, and his mind felt as if it were thick with gray smoke.
When consciousness is consumed by it, the body breaks free from the control of reason and begins to move as it pleases.
He swallowed hard, recalling the crimson flames that had flashed in his mind when he discovered the Dire boar.
At that moment, there was no room for any rational judgment to intervene. The moment he saw the monster's blood-red eyes fixed on her, his body had already pushed off the ground and was running furiously.
That was not the only time he lost control. Whenever he witnessed servants or soldiers acting rudely toward her right in front of him, he found it difficult to suppress his murderous intent, and sometimes he would bare his teeth or growl, openly posing a threat. It made his resolve to be regarded as a gentle and harmless being seem completely meaningless.
"It looks like your leg has gotten much better recently."
He was hanging his head low, overwhelmed by a sense of shame, when a calm voice came from behind him.
He snapped his head and narrowed his eyes as he saw Tiuran meticulously massaging her calves.
Thalia quietly entrusted her legs to the healer and closed her eyes tightly. Suddenly, a surge of hot energy rose from the pit of hia stomach.
She was a woman who would recoil in terror at the mere touch of his hand near her legs. Wasn't she someone who was reluctant to show her wounds and even refused to be served by maids?
He felt his insides twisted to the core when he saw the woman, who used to reluctantly lift her skirt only when receiving treatment, lying there with a relaxed expression on her face while wearing only short underpants.
He glared at Tiuran's profile as if keeping her in check, then sauntered over to the side of the bed.
Sensing his presence, Thalia reached out and gently stroked the nape of his neck.
"I think it's because I've been walking a lot with Khan lately, so my muscles have gotten stronger."
"Still, don't push yourself too hard. You could injure your joints if you're not careful."
Tiuran applied peppermint oil to her knees and said.
He stared intently at the wounds covering her legs. Though he had seen these scars many times since becoming a wolf, every time he took them in, it felt as though his heart were being torn apart.
"You don't have to worry. It's just regular treatment."
Thinking that he was worried about her, she stroked his ear and whispered soothingly.
That soft touch sent a tingling sensation all the way to his scalp. Barely suppressing the growling sound threatening to escape his throat, he snuggled onto the bed and sniffed the ointment the healer had applied to her leg.
The strong scent of medicinal herbs like peppermint, mugwort, and comfrey stung his nose. It didn't seem like a mixture of highly toxic herbs.
He glanced at Tiuran's face. He did not like the fact that Thalia, who had been prickly for over a decade, had opened her heart to this woman in just half a year, but he still felt grateful for the care she had given her. Without this woman, Thalia would have had to endure each day relying on toxic painkillers.
Even now, she hadn't completely stopped taking the medication. However, perhaps thanks to Tiuran giving her a massage every evening, the frequency of taking painkillers decreased noticeably, and she became able to fall into a deep sleep without burning sleeping candles.
In addition, thanks to eating a balanced diet of nutritious food, she began to gain weight nicely on her emaciated body, and her complexion improved noticeably.
The problem was that her appearance, full of life like a summer rose, began to attract people's attention more than necessary.
He gazed at her cheeks, flushed pink, with a troubled look. He was glad that the woman, who had looked sad and unhappy, had regained her vitality, but he did not like the fact that people were looking at her covetously.
"That's all. I'll help you change your clothes now."
Tiuran stood up from her seat, wiping the oil off her hands with a towel, and turned toward the cabinet.
Just as she was about to open the drawer and take out her clothes, she heard a knocking sound from outside the door.
Khan, who had been resting his head on her shoulder, suddenly lifted his head. He could recognize the visitor's identity solely from the sound of footsteps and the scent wafting into the air.
"Miss, it's me! I'll be right in!"
Before permission could even be given, the door burst open and a quarter dwarf rushed into the room.
He glared at the woman with hostile eyes.
She was a woman who had practically stopped visiting ever since Tiuran took on a role tantamount to a personal maid. A sense of foreboding washed over him as the woman, who never showed up unless summoned by Thalia, rushed over with an agitated look on her face.
"What's the matter?"
Thalia, perhaps feeling a similar emotion, pulled the blanket closer and wore a wary expression.
Ignoring her attitude, the quarter dwarf hurriedly approached the side of the bed and urgently poured out his words.
"The Empress has sent gifts for Your Highness! Look at these!"
The woman pointed at the servants lined up in the hallway. Each of them held a chest stamped with the seal of the Tarren family.
"They say they are all rare medicinal herbs that help boost vitality and strengthen the uterus!"
The color drained from Thalia's face in an instant.
He felt the hairs on his body stand on end with rage and glared at the quarter-dwarf's face as if to bite it off.
She was a woman who hadn't even sent a single letter of condolence upon hearing the news of her child's loss. She had turned a blind eye even when she was left in a state of near-total ruin after the stillbirth, yet now, sending medicine with such obvious ulterior motives, he felt as if his vision was turning red.
"If you take this herbal medicine consistently, you will be able to conceive again soon."
"It looks like that medicinal herb is some kind of homunculus seed, doesn't it?"
Thalia said mockingly.
"So that I can get pregnant even without a husband."
"That can't be true! Why are you saying something that could get you into big trouble!"
The woman, failing to understand the sarcasm, recoiled in horror and covered her mouth. She was the Empress, already plagued by suspicions that she was researching various forbidden ancient spells.
The woman, who had been scanning the faces of the Grand Duke's servants and the healer as if afraid of arousing unfounded suspicion, put on a stern expression toward Thalia.
"They say the conflict in the North is going to intensify further. If that happens, isn't it highly likely that His Excellency the Grand Duke will also have to go to the front lines to fight?"
For a moment, a shadow of fear flashed across Thalia's face. As if unaware, the woman continued speaking indifferently.
"You never know what might happen on the battlefield, so wouldn't you like to stop by the castle at least once to discuss the succession issue? You must have an heir to the Grand Duke's family by then."
Unable to suppress the rage rising to the top of his head, he bared his teeth at the Quarter Dwarf.
Only then did the woman sense the murderous intent directed at her and slowly backed away.
Flustered, Thalia hurriedly pulled herself closer, but this time, she could not immediately feign a docile attitude.
She nearly lost her life giving birth. How could anyone pressure her to get pregnant again?
Senevere, you must not be the only one to treat this woman like that.
You shouldn't do that either.
He growled ferociously, his fur standing on end. At that fierce intensity, the quarter-dwarf's face turned pale.
"Please. Get that monstrosity out of here! Just how long are you going to keep hanging around such a monster?"
A woman standing far away from the bed glared at her with a displeased look and lectured her.
"Do you know what people around here are saying about you, young lady? They're whispering that you must have gone mad after losing your child!"
Thalia desperately held onto him as he tried to jump out of bed, unable to bear it any longer. The woman, who had flinched and stepped back, soon seemed to regain her composure and raised her voice again.
"You are the Grand Duchess, young lady. It is your duty to bear an heir. What do you intend to do if you keep acting so childishly and end up getting divorced and kicked out?"
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