Chapter 1
What greeted Claire as she awoke from her long winter hibernation was the sweet scent of freesias.
“…What is this?”
Her lips parted in confusion.
The place where Claire had fallen asleep was clearly a secluded cabin deep within the forest. Yet when she stepped outside, what lay before her was a garden in full bloom.
“Did you sleep well?”
A man stood with his back to the garden, holding a bouquet of freesias, smiling brightly.
He was a strikingly handsome man, with neatly kept ash-gray hair of fine texture and vivid blue eyes.
“…Theodore?”
At her cautious call, his eyes shimmered with delight.
“Yes, Claire.”
At his gentle reply, Claire bit down hard on the tender flesh inside her mouth.
Before entering hibernation, she remembered the heir of House Voltier whom she had cared for while working as a maid—
A frail young master with dull blue eyes and dry, lifeless gray hair.
The Theodore Voltier she remembered was a pitiful boy, tormented by madness that consumed his life.
Not this provocative man before her, who resembled a well-fed beast.
“I missed you.”
As if unaware of Claire’s stunned expression, the man naturally stepped closer and held out the bouquet to her.
Leaning one hand against the doorframe, he bent his upper body slightly and spoke in a whisper.
“By the way, Claire.”
Despite his gentle expression, the tense, well-defined muscles visible through his open shirt made Claire instinctively avert her gaze.
“When would you like to have the wedding?”
“…What?”
What kind of nonsense is this?
Claire’s face twisted as if she had just been doused with cold water, and she looked up at him.
The eyes behind his cheerful smile were unexpectedly serious.
Something’s wrong.
A warning alarm rang relentlessly in her head.
Claire. Nineteen years old. A quarter-blood fire bear beastkin.
She had just awakened from hibernation—only to find herself on the verge of gaining a husband.
[House Voltier Recruitment Notice]
Gender and age irrelevant. Applicants must be in good health and physically strong.
No criminal record permitted.
The salary offered was significantly higher than that of an average servant.
Yet for a prestigious noble house, the conditions were unusually lax.
Anyone could tell the notice was suspicious.
“Hm.”
And yet, someone studied the poster with a serious expression, as though none of that seemed strange at all.
“Not bad.”
She was taller than most men, with dark pink hair tinged with red that reached below her shoulder blades. Her light brown eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, carried a languid air.
“This is the one.”
“What do you mean ‘this is the one’?!”
A middle-aged woman hurried over, clutching her forehead as she snapped at Claire, who nodded as if she had made her decision.
“What’s wrong, Angela?”
“This is exactly why I can’t take my eyes off you!”
At Angela’s outburst, Claire tilted her head, her expression utterly innocent, as if she truly didn’t understand the problem. That only made Angela more exasperated.
“Just look at those conditions—they’re obviously suspicious! Do you even know what kind of family the Voltiers are? Their head is a battle-crazed marquis! That house reeks of blood! Why would a place like that throw money around to hire people?”
“Because they have too much money?”
At the simple answer, Angela let out a hollow laugh.
She glanced around, then leaned in and whispered into Claire’s ear.
“No. Because it’s dangerous!”
“Dangerous?”
“Shh!”
Casting a quick glance toward the distant lord’s castle, Angela continued.
“They say the young master of House Voltier suffers from fits of madness. When it happens, people get hurt—so servants keep quitting one after another.”
“Oh.”
So that’s why the conditions were like that.
As Claire nodded in understanding, Angela patted her shoulder.
“You should just work as a mercenary with me. You take after your mother—you could definitely become a legendary one!”
“No. Mom said not to become a mercenary.”
“Well… that’s true.”
Angela fell silent at the immediate reply.
Claire hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“Don’t worry so much. There’s no way I’d lose to some sheltered young master.”
That’s exactly the problem!
Claire was the daughter of Veronica—a legendary gold-rank mercenary and a mixed-blood fire bear beastkin.
Not only did she inherit her mother’s appearance, but also her abilities and temperament.
The overwhelming physical strength unique to fire bear beastkin, far surpassing humans—and the commanding presence that could subdue beasts with a mere glance.
Though only a quarter-blood, Claire had inherited those traits strongly.
And that unpredictable, innocent personality of hers, too…
Angela let out a deep sigh, pressing a hand to her aching forehead.
“I’m not worried about you—I’m worried about that young master! Do you know how serious it is to injure a noble?!”
“…Ah.”
Claire avoided Angela’s concerned gaze.
“I’ll control my strength.”
She muttered the excuse, though it carried no confidence.
“And I’m not planning to stay long anyway. I’ll earn as much as I can before the next hibernation, then quit.”
“You’re going into hibernation again?”
“Yeah.”
Claire answered casually, as if it were obvious. Angela’s expression stiffened.
“You…”
After a long pause, she sighed.
“Well, you’re eighteen now. I suppose you’ve thought it through. But if it gets dangerous, run immediately.”
“That’s my specialty.”
“I’m sure it is.”
At Claire’s confident grin, Angela’s expression softened.
“Honestly… I’m getting too old for this. Let’s go eat.”
Shaking her head, Angela walked toward the restaurant.
Claire followed, then suddenly stopped and glanced back at the castle walls in the distance.
About eight meters high… I could jump that if I had to.
With a thought that would have horrified Angela, Claire turned and walked away.
“Once you go in, wake the young master first. You must wake him before opening the curtains. He doesn’t like bright light.”
Claire walked down the corridor of the Voltier estate with a maid.
Is it really this easy?
Half-listening to the instructions, she recalled what had happened two days ago.
She had submitted her application, been interviewed immediately, and received acceptance the very same day.
All the effort she had put into memorizing the fake identity Angela obtained from the information guild had been pointless—the head maid hadn’t even glanced at her documents.
“You are listening, right?”
Had she been caught spacing out? The maid, Alice, was staring at her suspiciously with narrowed eyes.
“Yes, I am.”
Claire nodded, looking down at her. Without replying, Alice turned sharply and stopped in front of an ornate door.
“This is the room. Like you heard in the interview, your job is to wake the young master and attend to him.”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
“No.”
Claire quietly studied Alice.
The closer they got to the room, the more visibly anxious she became.
Her eyes avoided Claire’s, and though she tried to suppress it, her hands trembled slightly.
Even someone as indifferent as Claire could tell that Alice was hiding something.
They’re sending me in without even mentioning his madness.
It was no different from throwing a rabbit into a predator’s cage without warning.
A strange atmosphere lingered throughout the mansion—as if it wished harm upon Claire.
Well, I’ll find out soon enough.
Leaving Alice behind, Claire approached the door.
“There’s no need to knock. He won’t wake up unless someone does it. That’s why this job exists.”
Claire nodded and opened the door at once. Alice flinched and stepped back, but Claire paid no mind as she entered the dark room.
“Young master, it’s time to—”
Before she could finish speaking, a candlestick flew straight at her head.
Oh?
Tilting her head slightly, she dodged it with ease and turned toward where it had come from.
On the bed, she saw a figure, seething with rage.
“Get out.”
The voice echoed through the room, like the growl of a wounded beast.
Sharp-tempered.
That was Claire’s first impression of Theodore.
