BIGBUTADORABLE.BL0GSPOT.C0M
『Senator?』

『Oh, go on.』

The pig-headed thelma interrupts his report with concern, forcing Asterios to return to his businesslike face and nod. This is really bad. Bad enough to be distracted in a meeting, unable to stop thinking about Jeremy. This is a serious problem.

Damn human. The sooner you give in, the sooner this will be over.

Calm, then angry, then nervous. Asterios wonders if the damn human has infected him with his mood swings. Not paying any attention to the meeting, Asterios snaps his fingers and remembers the last time he was face to face with Jeremy.

The contempt on his face, the cold rage, is unforgettable.

It will not be hard to grab him by the throat and snuff out his life. If this damned human keeps bothering him, keeps getting in the way of his work, Asterios can just get rid of him.

But he can never do that. He knows that even if he manages to separate Jeremy's bones from his flesh, it will take no more than a dozen minutes for Asterios to return to his mood swings.

Why oh why?

Why did he have to be so kind to a little human who barely held the position of livestock in Thelma's society?

Asterios had even apologized to the human. Yet, he didn't accept it, which made Asterios sick to his stomach, not only because of the rejection, but also because it confirmed his incompetence. If he could read the future, Asterios wouldn't have changed his persona to "Max" to win Jeremy's favor.

Unfortunately, information about Jeremy Rodgers' mental state is extremely scarce and difficult to interpret. It is impossible to predict his behavior or replay the simulation, and impossible to undo what has already happened.

Shit, shit, shit.

Unable to concentrate on the meeting at all, Asterios returns to his chamber as soon as it is over. Then he rummages through his purchases and pulls out many books. He places ten of them in a row on his desk, his large hands gripping the covers as he quickly peruses the contents.

The jackal likes the look on the human's face when he rampaged him wild in the streets, leaving him moaning and screaming. But most memorable is the face that looked up at him for the first time. When Jeremy begged Asterios to save him, and how he smiled and thanked him so much for his help...

No matter how many times he read books on human behavior, it's all stuff Asterios already knows. The same goes for books on the art of love. The Jackal is frustrated at what he's missing.

『Haah...』

Asterios sighs deeply. This human is so weak that even the slightest force will crush him. His nature is such that he can force others to do his bidding or brutally torture them, but somehow he cannot do that to Jeremy. Asterios has changed so much that those who know him will probably cluck their tongues in disbelief when they see him like this.

Knock knock—

『Come in.』

『Sir... Mr. Asterios, are you busy?』

『No. What is it?』

『I'm here to deliver the summary of the meeting. There are also some documents that need to be approved...』

『Leave them there.』

Asterios points to a corner of his desk with a gesture of his chin. The desk is still littered with books, including some about humans.

『These books... are you done reading them, sir? Would you like me to organize them?』

『No, I'll do it, leave them alone.』

『You're interested in human, sir?』

The mountain goat-headed thelma asks, looking at the titles of the books. Asterios always has a row of books lined up on his desk for him to read, a rather unusual habit, so the titles naturally caught the thelma's eye; all of them were about human ecology and habits, civilization and competition, and social behavior.

『A little bit.』

『You were at the milk factory last time, and the offering you received was...』

『Have you ever loved anyone?』

At the mention of his sacrifice, Asterios is quick to cut the secretary off.

The mountain goat, on the other hand, is taken aback by the unexpected question, but when she notices that the book at the end of the row is titled The Art of Love, she nods.

『Of course. I'm currently in a relationship with my fiancé.』

『Oh, that's good then,"』 Asterios says, 『because I was wondering about something while I was reading.』

『Like what, sir?』

The mountain goat doesn't like to pry into anyone's personal affairs, but this is a subject she can't help but be intrigued by. Asterios is known to keep his life far, far away from his love life.

The jackal tilts his head at the mountain goat, who is obviously waiting for his answer.

『Can you hold more than one person in your heart at the same time?』

『Uh...? 』

Once again, the mountain goat is surprised by the unexpected question. And once again her voice starts to tremble. It's a question she can't quite understand: does the Senator have a preference for someone who's already taken?

『Ah, sir, mountain goats are indeed quite energetic, but we are not fighters.』

『You mean no?』

『Uh, well...there are some who love more than one person at a time, but that's not common.』

『Is that so...』

The goat's answer puzzles Asterios even more. According to what he'd just read, most humans are monogamous, forming deep, loving relationships only with their spouses. And the secretary's answer is that she can't hold more than one person in her heart at a time.

Jeremy is already in love with Max, so it will be difficult for the human to form a new relationship, no matter how much Asterios cares for him. Asterios has offered himself to be Max, but he can't understand what the problem is.

It is hard to understand why it is unacceptable for humans to love more than one person.

After a moment of thought, the Jackal flicks his tongue over his dry nose, then speaks.

『I see... And what happens when you fall in love?』

『Hmm...? Uh...usually you miss them, right? You want to do everything for them... You know, you think of them when you eat something delicious. You always want to be with them...』

The tremor in the mountain goat's voice gradually subsides as she stammers, even smiling slightly remembering her lover. Asterios, on the other hand, is even more puzzled by the answer. Frowning, he strokes his short, hairy chin.

This is ridiculous, does this mean that Asterios is already in love with the human?

He looks at him every day and wants to do everything for him. Make sure he is fed and visit him when he has time...

But shouldn't love be a more positive emotion? Come to think of it, Asterios' feelings for Jeremy weren't positive for the most part. Just thinking about him made the Jackal feel frustrated. And when things didn't go his way, he felt a surge of anger, then impatience.

Why should Asterios be impatient? He's the one who's going to win in the end anyway.

Even if this frail, finite creature dies from his struggles, Asterios can bring him back to life. If he can swallow his pride, he can challenge the human again and again until he bows to his will.

Haa, damn it.


NOTE

One of the novels I translate got removed from NovelUpdates. So...
I made a DISCORD SERVER. Just in case.


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