For some reason, Sora felt weak and dizzy.
Her body was hot, soft, and strangely restless. All she wanted was something cool to ease the burning sensation spreading through her limbs. Then she caught a faint, unfamiliar fragrance drifting through the air. Instinctively, she followed it and wrapped her arms around its source.
Lukan had come to check on her.
After returning from the hunt, he’d heard that Kaelira was building a house. In the tribe, it was customary for male beastmen to help whenever a female built a home, so he had come to see if she needed assistance.
The moment he stepped inside, however, Sora threw herself at him.
The woman in his arms was noticeably slimmer than before, though she was still heavier than most females. As he steadied her, he immediately felt the heat radiating from her body.
His brows furrowed.
Was she running a fever?
Before he could ask, Sora began moving restlessly. Her hands wandered across his body, exploring without restraint.
Her mind was completely clouded. She only knew that the thing in front of her felt wonderfully cool. The firm flesh beneath her fingers soothed the unbearable heat tormenting her, making her want to touch it more.
As she continued feeling around, confusion crept into her dazed thoughts.
Why was it so firm?
It felt like neatly stacked blocks of tofu—but much harder.
Lukan’s expression darkened.
He had intended to leave immediately, but something about her condition seemed wrong.
Looking closer, he noticed her eyes were unfocused and unusually watery. A rosy flush stained her cheeks.
Before, her darker complexion had hidden such details, but recently her skin had become much fairer. Combined with her gradual weight loss, her features appeared softer and more delicate than before.
Her eyes seemed larger now as well, no longer carrying the bitterness and resentment that had once filled them.
Gently restraining her wandering hands, he studied her for several moments.
Eventually, he reached a conclusion.
She wasn’t sick.
She had been exposed to something.
And he knew exactly what it was.
Many female beastmen in the tribe used it.
The Charm Fruit.
He had seen females use it countless times before.
Recently, Kaelira herself had even used it while pursuing Ace.
A trace of disappointment crossed Lukan’s eyes.
He had thought she had changed.
These past few days she had been different—giving gifts, cooking food, and acting far more reasonably than before.
Yet now she was using the Charm Fruit again.
Then another thought occurred to him.
He hadn’t planned on visiting today.
He had only decided to come on a whim after returning from the hunt.
There was no way Sora could have known he would appear.
And if she had truly intended to use the Charm Fruit on Ace, Xavier, or someone else, none of them were here.
The area outside her house was completely deserted.
If she had wanted one of them, she would have had to seek them out herself.
So why had she ended up affected by it alone?
Lukan couldn’t make sense of it.
While he was lost in thought, Sora suddenly reached behind her back and tugged at a string.
The next second, a piece of clothing flew into the air.
At first, he didn’t pay attention.
Then something soft and warm pressed against his chest.
His eyes lowered instinctively.
Immediately, his ears turned bright red.
He spun around so quickly he nearly stumbled.
Aside from hunting and standing guard, Lukan had never been intimate with any female.
Occasionally, he overheard other beastmen bragging about their mates, but he had always ignored such conversations.
This was the first time he had ever seen a female’s body up close.
Flustered, he pushed Sora away and quickly grabbed a folded animal-skin skirt lying nearby.
Using his wolf tail, he wrapped the garment around her and covered her chest as fast as possible.
Only then did he dare breathe again.
His heart was pounding wildly.
Just as he managed to calm her down a little, Sora started struggling again, tugging at the fabric as if trying to remove the annoying obstacle. Seeing this, Lukan didn’t hesitate. He grabbed more water from the shelf and splashed it across her face.
The cool water helped somewhat. The burning heat inside her eased for a moment, and she finally quieted down.
Lukan supported Sora and tried to help her walk over to the bed she had built for herself. However, it was difficult to steady her when she could barely stand, so he ended up half-pulling and half-guiding her across the room.
After settling her down, he stepped outside and carefully shut the door behind him before rushing away.
Although the effects of a Love Fruit were powerful, there was a known remedy.
Lukan remembered hearing other beastmen talk about a Leaf Fruit that grew near Love Fruit trees. The two plants often appeared together, and during a hunting patrol earlier that morning, he had spotted a grove full of them east of the tribe.
Without wasting another second, he shifted into his gray wolf form.
Using his tremendous speed, he bounded through the forest. Before long, he found the grove, grabbed a ripe Leaf Fruit, and raced back toward Sora’s house.
When he arrived, the door was still closed and everything appeared quiet.
Nothing unusual had happened.
Relieved, Lukan transformed back into human form, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Unfortunately, the cold water had only provided temporary relief.
Sora still felt as though her entire body was on fire.
She rolled restlessly across the floor, pulling at her clothes in frustration. The knot securing her top refused to come undone no matter how hard she tugged.
Unable to remove it, she instead lifted her skirt, trying desperately to cool herself.
The moment Lukan entered carrying the Leaf Fruit, he froze.
Sora was kneeling on the ground, completely unaware of how compromising her position looked.
Her round hips were raised slightly, and her strong legs shifted restlessly against the floor.
The extra weight she once carried had begun to disappear. Even her waist now showed the faint outline of a curve.
She looked noticeably different from before.
Lukan immediately turned his gaze away.
Suppressing his embarrassment, he split open the Leaf Fruit, knelt beside her, and gently lifted her head.
Then he fed the fruit to her.
The cool juice flowed into Sora’s mouth.
Instantly, the burning sensation throughout her body began to fade.
The refreshing taste felt so comforting that she instinctively swallowed every drop.
Before long, the entire fruit was gone.
Seeing her condition stabilize, Lukan finally relaxed.
The medicine was working.
The unbearable heat gradually disappeared, replaced by a pleasant coolness that spread through her limbs.
Exhaustion soon overtook her.
Her breathing steadied, her eyelids grew heavy, and within moments, Sora drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.