Mr. Kadan in the Deep Forest

That bastard, getting all worked up over a woman, and he doesn’t even know the meaning of gratitude. Ruth wiped the saliva dripping from his mouth with his sleeve and glared at Kadan.

Kadan raised an eyebrow slightly, meeting Ruth’s crooked gaze directly.

“Want to duel?”

“Am I some kind of Inut barbarian? Duel, my a*s!”

Crazy bastard. Just because someone stares at him, he acts like this. Ruth muttered insults under his breath, but still tried to put on kind eyes.

As the murderous intent left his face, Kadan continued to stare at him silently before turning away without hesitation.

Ruth felt a bit uneasy as he watched Kadan’s retreating figure. Ruth was a middleman who made a profit by selling the corpses of the monsters Kadan brought him at a high price. It was a nice sum, but if Kadan suddenly decided to cut off the trade, the loss would be immense.

“Hey, monster! Wait a second.”

Ruth quickly brainstormed a plan. He came up with a way to gain some favor. Kadan stopped walking and turned his head to face Ruth silently.

“You’re worried about the woman you’re living with, right?”

“…”

“Relax. I’ve got something really good for you.”

Ruth rummaged through his pants pocket and pulled out a small pill. The mysterious pill, made from dried plant leaves and roots, emitted a sharp, pungent smell.

“Here. Feed this to her.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s good. Really good.”

“No.”

Kadan shook his hand firmly, refusing. He didn’t want to feed some suspicious drug to Luna.

“Tch, you’re such a pain. Do you know how expensive this is? I had to go all the way to the big city to get it. Even nobles take this!”

Ruth said, ‘I’m giving it to you because you’re my client, otherwise I wouldn’t even offer it,’ and shoved the pill into Kadan’s hand.

“If you give it to her, she’ll feel really good. She’ll come at you with the energy of a spring cat. Who doesn’t like feeling good? You’ve got to try it.”

If it works, maybe we’ll get more business, huh? Ruth smirked and pushed Kadan in the back. While Kadan’s size wasn’t something that could easily be moved, he moved in the direction Ruth pushed, too focused on inspecting the pill to resist.

“And when you go back, go quietly. If you wear a sword, the villagers will be on edge.”

With that advice, Ruth headed back into the stable.

Kadan left the village with quicker steps than usual, his gaze fixed on the small pill in his palm.

‘If you give it to her, she’ll feel really good. Who doesn’t like feeling good? You’ve got to try it.’

The words Ruth had just said kept echoing in his mind. Feeling good. He wondered if Luna would like it. No, the real question is whether he can trust this suspicious pill that Ruth gave him. Maybe he should just throw it away, just in case.

Kadan spent the entire walk to the cabin seriously contemplating the pill in his hand.

＊＊＊

“Kadan, Kadan! Wake up!”

Luna slapped Kadan’s cheek with her palm, calling his name.

Kadan focused his eyes and looked at Luna. His blurry vision slowly cleared, and he could see Luna crouched in front of him.

At that moment, Kadan was slumped against the wall of the cabin. His legs were trembling, and his body burning with heat. Like an animal driven by pure instinct, a fierce urge to pull Luna into his arms and kiss her surged within him.

Kadan lowered his gaze to his palm. The half-eaten pill remained in his hand. Unable to fully trust Ruth’s words, Kadan had bitten into the pill on the way to the cabin. With his body’s naturally fast response to things, the effects hit him unexpectedly, and he grabbed his forehead in discomfort.

“Kadan, you’re burning up. Does it hurt anywhere?”

“Go inside.”

Kadan pushed away Luna’s small hand, which had been touching him. It was dangerous. Feeling good how. This was a drug that turned a person into an animal. If he stayed like this, he would pounce on Luna right here.

“No. I’m not leaving you alone.”

“Dangerous.”

“What is?”

“Me.”

‘You bought it for that reason, didn’t you? To make her your bride. You like her.’

Ruth’s words, which seemed so distant in his mind, suddenly became incredibly clear.

Bride. A woman he wanted to impregnate and plant his seed in.

Hah. Hah. His breath grew rough as his eyes, dark as pitch, locked onto Luna. That was Kadan’s final warning, but Luna didn’t step back.

“Why is Kadan dangerous…uh!”

Luna couldn’t finish her sentence. Kadan’s hand wrapped around her neck, pulling her toward him. Their lips collided.

Kadan’s thick tongue pushed into Luna’s mouth, sweeping across her delicate palate and brushing against her teeth. He found the back of her tongue, coiling around it like a snake, sucking it deeply, causing pain at the base of her tongue.

Ugh, Luna let out a soft moan, pounding on his chest with her fists, but Kadan only pressed closer. Luna’s upper body tilted backward. It was no longer a kiss—it was an act of pure animal instinct.

“Mmm, mm!”

Luna barely managed to break away to breathe but was immediately pulled back by Kadan, and her mouth was taken again.