The horse was so startled that Asha raised both her hands awkwardly in midair.
“Ah, I’m sorry… Today Jackal, no, your master taught me how to be friends with a horse, but I’m still clumsy…”
Asha apologized, but in fact, she acted properly as she learned today.
Rather, it was the other side that showed a strange reaction.
Jackal sighed inwardly.
When he leaned in and raised his head to her again, Asha joyfully stroked his neck and face.
“Your master said you could name you today. So I’ve thought hard about it…”
Asha spoke solemnly.
“I’ve found the perfect name for you.”
Jackal raised his head, his ears perked, and looked at her with eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.
Soon, Asha smiled softly and called out the name.
“Shepi.”
‘Shepi…?’
What kind of strange name is this? As he made a puzzled expression, Asha explained.
“It means ‘naked’.”
“……!”
Jackal’s eyes widened.
Asha chuckled and said,
“It also means ‘a mountain whose peak is broken,’ ‘hill road.’ It fits perfectly with the situation when we first met, so I tried naming it this way. Do you like it?”
Jackal pondered for a moment but answered since it seemed like a meaningful name in its own way.
“Neigh.”
He didn’t want to say he disliked the name she carefully chose.
“I’m relieved.”
Asha happily brought his face to her chest.
When Jackal was embraced by her soft and tender chest, his eyes widened even more.
Asha, unaware of this, closed her eyes and contentedly stroked his face, murmuring,
“How can you be so gentle and pretty, our Shepi.”
“……”
Although he was never a gentle horse, a fierce wild horse, he somehow didn’t want to deny it and obediently snuggled against her with his eyes slightly closed.
A small blush rose on his cheek.
Suddenly Asha opened one eye and asked teasingly,
“But your master says you go on outings alone often? Where have you been? Did you really go looking for a mate?”
Jackal quickly shook his head.
At that reaction, Asha laughed and grabbed his face with both hands.
“Why. You are so handsome.”
Jackal’s face turned hot.
Unaware of his feelings, Asha declared,
“Now, let’s begin grooming to make you even more handsome!”
“……?”
“The smooth grooming will surely attract beautiful female horses!”
Asha held a brush in both hands and laughed wickedly, as if she had been waiting for him.
Jackal missed his chance to escape and was dragged into the middle of the room by his long tail.
“……Neigh!”
Despite his wild cry at her violent action, Asha showed no mercy.
In the end, he was forcibly groomed by her…
Asha faithfully brushed his mane as she had been taught.
Jackal flinched every time her touch reached his bare skin.
…It was maddening.
Only then did regret wash over him that he had done something unnecessary to the pony.
After finishing with the mane, Asha tied a cute handkerchief around his head as she did last time and then began to groom his body.
The moment her hand reached his smooth, firm hindquarters, Jackal sprang up and sharply turned his back.
This relationship was dangerous.
It seemed he should not get any closer to her as beast and human.
When the horse suddenly turned and stood solemnly by the door, Asha blinked and asked,
“Are you, perhaps, feeling shy right now…?”
“……”
Asha giggled.
“Okay. I won’t touch your body. You are a gentleman among horses, after all. I was too rash.”
Asha’s actions and words keep a respectful and understanding tone, recognizing the boundaries and complex relationship between the human character and the wild horse, reflecting the nuanced connections that can develop between animals and humans.
Jackal nodded his head vigorously, as if he was keeping rhythm.
At that response, Asha burst into laughter once more.
It really felt like having a conversation with a person when with this horse.
Asha stopped laughing and now spoke wistfully.
“Take me with you next time you go out.”
As Jackal sneaked a glance behind, Asha said with a slightly bitter face.
“I always stay locked in the palace and don’t remember what the world looks like. I want to see the world you see too.”
“……Neigh.”
Jackal answered and left the room with a determined face, trotting away.
Asha thought, ‘He must be going,’ and waved goodbye, smiling until the door closed.
He was a wanderer, always coming and going without notice, like a stray horse.
Upon arriving at the tree where he’d left his clothes, Jackal turned back into a human.
But he couldn’t move for a long time even after getting dressed.
‘……That child is something very special to me.’
Asha’s words kept repeating in his ears.
He stared intently at the red handkerchief tied cutely around his head.
As he absentmindedly touched the hair that Asha had combed for him, he suddenly heard an angry voice from behind.
“Captain.”
Jackal was slightly startled and turned around, still touching his head.
His animal instincts made him sensitive to presence, and he would normally notice anyone approaching.
It was rare for him to be so unguarded with someone right behind him.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
