DLBF Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – The Beautiful Lone Wolf

Chapter 3, Part 1.4

Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)

Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)

Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

֍֍֍

“Julian, may I come in?”

After spending about ten minutes on the terrace with an indescribable feeling, Fujimori knocked on Julian’s bedroom door.

After waiting for a moment, instead of a verbal response, he heard something like a low growl.

It sounded like a growl. But maybe it was just Julian’s way of answering, and Fujimori hadn’t understood it correctly.

“I’m coming in.”

Fujimori declared and opened the door to the room.

There, with its back to the backlight from the window, was a large beast.

Its form was unmistakably that of a wolf. Sitting with both front paws perfectly aligned, it faced Fujimori. Even in that sitting posture, it was clear that it was much larger than him.

The fur around its eyes, stretching down its long snout, and from its mouth to its throat was white. Meanwhile, the rest was a complex mix of golden brown, black, and other shades, shimmering faintly in the bright light.

The eyes that stared at Fujimori now appeared to be a bright grey.

Fujimori instinctively took a step forward, wondering if they might look silver again up close.

“Julian?”

When he called out, the large beast shrank back slightly as if frightened. It then sat back down. Its long tail wrapped around its hind legs.

It was hard to connect this form with Julian’s usual appearance.

But at the same time, there was something about it that made Fujimori certain that this presence was undeniably Julian.

“…Can I come closer?”

When he asked, the beast’s ears twitched as if reacting to his words.

Feeling a bit guilty, but interpreting Julian’s averted gaze as a sign of consent, Fujimori moved closer to the beast.

“…No one…” The beast growled.

It was a truly low, muffled growl. It was barely recognizable as speech unless one already knew to listen for human words. Perhaps this difficulty in understanding Julian’s voice, even in his human form, was related to him being a werewolf. This form did not seem suited for producing human speech.

Fujimori bent down, trying to catch the words by bringing his ear closer to the large mouth.

“No one would… love someone like me,” The beast growled, lowering its head.

Fujimori felt ashamed of himself for having been so captivated by Julian’s model-like beauty just a short while ago.

“…Even my father, and… my mother…”

The bitterness in Julian’s voice was unmistakable. It stemmed from the fact that he believed he was the cause of his parents’ separation.

Fujimori reached out and gently touched the area beneath both of Julian’s ears.

The ears, covered in soft, fluffy fur, were thick but still pliable.

The beast closed its eyes slightly, remaining perfectly still.

Fujimori extended his arms further and wrapped them around the sturdy neck.

There was the warm scent unique to living creatures, mixed faintly with that distinctive sweet fragrance Fujimori always smelled coming from Julian.

That’s when Fujimori was absolutely certain—this was Julian.

“Julian…” As Fujimori murmured, the beast let out a low growl.

Was it saying “yes”?

“It’s okay.”

A wave of overwhelming tenderness, different from the feeling of love he’d had until now, welled up from deep within his chest.

“You’re really beautiful and great.”

The beast let out another low growl. Whether it was a denial or affirmation, Fujimori couldn’t tell.

But it didn’t matter. Fujimori tightened his embrace around the neck covered in rich fur.

The shoulders were thick. Fujimori could feel the hard, rippling muscles beneath the furred back.

“I love that long, fluffy tail and those strong, big paw pads too.”

The beast tilted its head slightly as if puzzled by Fujimori’s words.

Fujimori extended his arm, asking to hold one of its thick front paws.

The paw, which was even larger than Fujimori’s hand, was the same one that had been extended towards him on the bed. The pads were slightly springy, but sturdy, and short fur was densely packed between them.

The black, sharp claws were pointed. But Fujimori wasn’t afraid at all, knowing that Julian was being careful not to hurt him, even now.

“The short fur between your paw pads is soft and cute too.”

The thick ears twitched slightly, brushing against Fujimori’s cheek.

Fujimori, feeling enchanted, stroked those ears repeatedly.

“Your ears remind me of the Akita dog my grandfather used to have—they’re thick. They feel really good and I love them. They’re soft too…”

Julian, who had been tilting his head, turned his long snout towards Fujimori and gently rubbed it against his cheek and nose.

“And I really love your silver eyes too… Did you know that?”

Julian let out a small, plaintive whimper.

Then, the large beast rested its head against Fujimori’s shoulder as if seeking comfort.

֍֍֍

*Translator’s Note: I can understand why Julian is insecure. With parents like that. -K

Illustration 6:

Next update: 2024.11.25

֍֍֍