My Beastly Fertility System Chapter 136: Grapes in Winter

At that very moment, in Grimstone Manor, Finlay was having a meltdown.

"Who ransacked my study? Someone get in here and clean this up!"

He hadn't noticed the missing fur scroll.

"Claire, the weather's nice today. The snow stopped. Why don't we walk around the courtyard?"

Marcus held Claire's hand, guiding her gently outside.

Claire looked at him, amused.

"You can't see. How do you know the weather's nice?"

"Easy. No wind, no snow, and after standing outside for a moment, there's warmth on my skin. That means the sun is out. A rare clear day."

Claire reached the courtyard table. Before she could sit, Marcus shifted into beast form. The enormous, adorable panda appeared before her.

He said, "Claire, it's cold. Sit on my lap. I'm warm."

The giant panda lay belly-up, his fluffy stomach looking impossibly soft and warm.

Claire settled into the cradle of his hind paws, her heavy belly resting against his soft fur. Warm, soft, and impossibly comfortable.

She could even run her fingers through his fur. It felt like heaven.

In the past two weeks, Claire had grown used to Marcus's attentiveness. But the little details still caught her off guard every time.

She looked up. A pale winter sun hung near the horizon, giving off feeble warmth.

"You're right. It is a nice day."

Even on a clear day, the snow heaped against the walls showed no sign of melting.

Marcus preened at the compliment, puffing up with pride. He presented a plate of glistening green grapes.

"Of course I'm right! My senses are top-notch, remember? Here, Claire—eat some grapes. I just picked them."

Claire stared at the dewy grapes, stems still fresh and green.

"Grapes? In winter? Where on earth did you find these?"

Marcus grinned.

"There's a mountain gorge with geothermal hot springs. Even in winter, fruit grows there. My mom found it. She used to take me there all the time."

"More hot springs? Beast World really does have a lot of them."

Claire said it casually.

Marcus's ears twitched, curious.

"You said 'more'? Have you seen other hot springs, Claire?"

Claire thought of Davy and his detoxifying hot spring. One was coiled on her wrist; the other sat quietly in her storage space. She didn't know how Davy's recovery was going—he slept almost constantly, rarely waking.

As for the hot spring in the storage space, the water didn't regenerate, but the initial volume had been enormous. She'd barely made a dent.

"I have. But there were no grapes nearby, so it's probably a different one."

Claire didn't elaborate. Her fingers absently traced the tiny scales on the green snake at her wrist.

Marcus nodded.

"That makes sense. In Beast World, the Beast God probably placed hot springs as refuges for homeless beastfolk during winter. A mercy in the midst of hardship."

Claire popped a grape into her mouth. Sweet-tart. Not the best she'd ever had, but in winter, fresh fruit was a luxury.

She warned him, "Don't go to dangerous places alone anymore. You can't see. What if something happens?"

In the city, Marcus was fine. But outside, in unfamiliar terrain, the risk skyrocketed.

How could she not worry?

Marcus nuzzled his massive head into Claire's lap, tickling her until she laughed.

"I'll do whatever you say, Claire. You're the best!"

After a while of play, Marcus composed himself and pressed his round ear against her belly, listening intently.

Claire smiled. She asked, "Hear anything?"

"The beastlings say they love their daddy!"

Marcus was beaming.

Claire looked at her belly. Only half a month along, and it was already huge—rivaling the size she'd been at full term in her previous pregnancies.

She'd gotten used to it. At Level 2, she didn't feel tired at all. If anything, she had too much energy. She'd redecorated the house several times over.

She would've liked to explore Grimstone's market, but Marcus refused to let her out. The attacker from that night was still at large, and with her belly this big, he wouldn't risk it.

Claire knew he was right. She stayed in, passing the time in her storage space.

Her farm had yielded several harvests by now. Vegetables rotated in and out; everything went straight to the preservation space, where it would be kept forever.