Originally, the wolf beast-kin were a race famous for pursuing their enemies to the end to exact revenge. In other words, Chloe Liden’s way of thinking was completely opposite to that of the wolf beast-kin.

That’s not to say her way of thinking was that of the tiger beast-kin either. The tiger beast-kin’s revenge was just as cruel and persistent as that of the wolf beast-kin.

Perhaps it was a characteristic unique to Chloe Liden, who had lived as a human rather than a beast-kin. Everyone could only guess.

In any case, if that rumor was true, the Alpha had obeyed his mate’s words and chosen forgiveness over revenge. Even the instinct for revenge and the position of Alpha could not overcome absolute obedience to one’s mate.

All the wolf beast-kin gathered at the assembly realized anew what they had done to the Alpha and felt chilled to the bone.

What would have happened if the Alpha’s mate had told them to execute them all? It might not have ended with just losing the Alpha of this generation, but the fate of the entire wolf beast-kin race could have been in jeopardy.

So for now, until that Alpha forgives them all, or until the next Alpha appears, they must live precariously without an Alpha.

Unable to object to the Alpha’s decision, or even beg him to remain as Alpha, they had to return to their territories having lost the most outstanding Alpha in history.

Without knowing what punishment Hugrey had imposed on the entire wolf beast-kin race, Chloe was spending her time thinking of ways to alleviate Hugrey’s grumpiness.

He was grumpy about very trivial matters, but also about enormously big issues. Namely, the matter of punishing Lord Joyce. It took hours of persuasion to make him reverse his decision to kill Lord Joyce.

Of course, even in Chloe’s opinion, Lord Joyce had committed a capital offense. Thinking about how he had just stood behind her and cleanly told her to die in the situation where she was about to be killed by Reina Tilbit, she felt like turning into a tiger right now and tearing his throat out.

But in the end, it was also Lord Joyce who threw himself to save her at the crucial moment. By taking Hans’s sword with his own body, without any weapons.

Chloe also knew that he had struggled several times before that as well. When he told Hugrey to go meet Calcus, he had offered to go instead twice. The first time he hesitated a little, but the second time he was resolute as if he had made up his mind.

Although Lord Joyce never said it himself, maybe he was trying to change his mind then? If Hugrey had told him to go instead, he might not have followed Reina Tilbit’s will.

It was clear that he had been wavering until the last moment, not knowing which side to choose. In the end, he must have cast his die to follow his lord’s decision. Because Hugrey insisted on going himself, he ended up tipping the scales in Reina Tilbit’s favor.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t resentful and annoying. But Chloe knew very well that Lord Joyce’s conflict stemmed solely from his loyalty to Hugrey. He was, after all, the most loyal person to Hugrey that she had ever seen.

So wouldn’t it be better for Hugrey if Lord Joyce was alive? That’s why she made all sorts of promises to Hugrey, who said he could never forgive him, and barely managed to change his mind.

She even withdrew her words about going home because her mother would worry, and promised to bring her mother to Roizen, and promised to do things that were too embarrassing to even mention during the next heat, things she had absolutely refused to do before.

By the way, if she really does those things, will his usual grumpiness subside a bit?

In fact, Hugrey had naturally not been able to properly resolve his last heat, suffering through various pains. Even after that, Chloe had been absolutely forbidding him from coming at night, saying he needed to recover his body.

So maybe the heat building up in his body was being released as his grumpy temperament.

If his recent sharpness was really because of that, she was looking forward to his upcoming heat in a few days. Even in the training grounds, he seemed to be more than usually strict these days. Lately, by the end of training in the training grounds, wails could be heard from the knights’ mouths.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

It seemed Hugrey had returned from the wolf beast-kin assembly.

“Ah! My mother is coming soon, isn’t she? I was thinking that I should look for a nice lodging in downtown Roizen, wondering where would be good to book accommodations.”

Chloe made up an excuse. It was a bit much to honestly say she was thinking about the correlation between Hugrey’s grumpiness and heat relief.

“Hmm… When your mother comes, does that mean we can get married?”

“Ah…”

She hadn’t made up the excuse expecting this kind of response. Chloe awkwardly avoided his gaze, not knowing how to answer.

Do you know how surprised and worried Mom was when news of you reached even Bjergen? I’m relieved that you’re safe, but I can’t help but feel uneasy thinking that Tuscan has found out everything about you.

I think Calcus acted that way towards you because he felt the same way as Mom. Actually, Mom disliked Calcus for several years. I knew that boy had feelings for you, and I didn’t like lion beast-kin.

So I treated that boy quite harshly. But that boy’s feelings for you remained constant whether he was far from or held imperial power. So I decided to try trusting him, but I’ve never even met Duke Ulpaz, have I? So even now, I still can’t comfortably send you to a wolf beast-kin. You’ve had so many brushes with death…

Since you’re asking me to come to Roizen, I think I’ll have to see that person and decide my stance this time.

I hope you won’t feel too hurt. Mom is always on your side and supports you, but I’m not reckless enough to hand you over to a wolf beast-kin I’ve never even seen.

Then I’ll see you in Roizen. Mom]

Mom still hadn’t accepted Hugrey. She was just saying she’d look into it. He might seem perfect in her eyes, but if he acts this grumpy, I’m worried about what Mom will think.

“It seems your mother still doesn’t like me. More than that lion bastard.”

Ah, really, why is he so grumpy? Why on earth is the lion bastard being mentioned here?

“Hugrey. Why are you so conscious of Calcus? I don’t think about the lion at all, but you keep bringing up Calcus every time. I wish you wouldn’t do this.”

“I’m not being conscious of him!”

Hugrey, who had even raised his voice, cut off his words and sighed.

He seemed to have realized he was getting too worked up.

“If you think about it, how can I not be conscious of him? Your mother even lived in the same house with that bastard. But while coming to my house, she asked to look for other accommodations, not my house. I don’t know how I should think about this.”

“Ah…”

Chloe finally understood why Hugrey was so tense even about her mother’s visit.

In fact, Mom hadn’t said anything about accommodations. It was entirely Chloe’s idea to set up different lodgings. It was out of concern that Hugrey’s heat might overlap with Mom’s arrival.

Of course, the ducal residence had more than ten rooms to give to Mom, but size wasn’t the problem. The problem was that during his heat, Hugrey and she would be holed up in either his room or her room.

So she was thinking of having Mom stay somewhere other than the ducal residence, at least until Mom gave her permission.

But she hadn’t thought Hugrey could think this way, though she could understand when she put herself in his shoes. Come to think of it, he gives guest rooms even to not-so-close visitors when they visit his house, but specifically his mate’s mother said she’d stay outside. And as he said, Mom had lived in the same house with Calcus.

“Hugrey, actually, that wasn’t Mom’s idea. Mom said she wants to get to know you. So she’d rather stay at the ducal residence.”

“Huh?”

Hugrey’s eyes narrowed.

“Actually, it was my idea that it would be good to book accommodations.”

“Why?”

Though his expression didn’t change, she could feel his voice hardening.

Sigh, do I have to explain even this?

“Because Mom, we, well, it’s that day, so I thought it might overlap.”

“What are you talking about?”

Is he deliberately not understanding? Even though I’ve explained it this explicitly?

“I’m saying your heat and the day Mom arrives might overlap. So if we hole up in a room, Mom might think it’s strange, that’s why I did it!”

In the end, it seems men are animals that only understand when you speak this bluntly. How frustrating, how embarrassing.

“Ah!”

A single exclamation of realization popped out of Hugrey’s mouth.

Chloe’s face heated up.

“Your face is red, Chloe.”

“I wonder whose fault that is?”

“Mine?”

“Yes, it’s because of the wolf duke who doesn’t understand hints and is only grumpy that I’m getting so heated.”

“Same as me. I feel just like you right now.”

“Pardon?”

Chloe looked at Hugrey, wondering what he meant. His face wasn’t red at all. Only his eyes looked a bit different. How they looked different was, ah…

“Then it seems we can welcome your mother to this house. Because it looks like that time you’ve been eagerly awaiting has just arrived.”

The duke smiled.