Trapped in the Beastworld Breeder System (BL)-Chapter 32: He was straight to begin with...

Chapter 32: He was straight to begin with...
"Why?" Aries asked, confusion washing over his face, his brows drawn tightly together.
[Because, unlike Madam Barris’ contract, the stakes of this one are far higher. The identity of the contractor is of a much higher status, and the contract involves more than just two parties. More importantly, it is deeply intertwined with your current mission.]
[So, if you cancel it, you will essentially be annulling the mission itself, and that comes with a heavy price.]
"Which is?" Aries asked cautiously, his chest tightening.
[Canceling a royal contract will cost you 500 CE.
And because the contract is closely tied to an active mission, your system will suffer a downgrade, forcing you back to the beginning stage.]
"Huh?" It was as though Aries’ ears had malfunctioned. He said aloud, disbelief thick in his voice, "Is that even a thing?"
[Yes, it is. This is a beast world, one you have been thrown into. Progress here is not linear. It can move forward or backward depending entirely on your decisions. Remember this well: your choices truly matter.]
[Also, take note that your death does not mean an end. It signals a reset. You will start all over again.
So, if you do not wish to stress yourself endlessly, do not die. Try your absolute fucking best, as you would say, not to die.]
"God! What the hell is all this?" Aries burst out, his voice echoing loudly through the room. "I always thought you were greedy and deceitful, but not this complicated and vague! So all this while, this world I’m in is just like those transmigration stories I’ve read before? Just say it’s quick transmigration already! Why can’t I just go straight to heaven if I die? You mean everything resets and starts all over again?"
His outburst rang through the chamber.
This time, the information hit him so hard that he didn’t care whether he was speaking aloud or whether the walls had ears. He just needed to vent the rage building inside him. How had things gone from discussing a mission to learning that even death wasn’t an escape?
Aries inhaled deeply, then exhaled, his chest rising and falling sharply. Slowly, he became aware of what he had just done. He glanced around the room, checking his surroundings, and when he finally calmed down a little, he spoke again, this time in a low voice. He didn’t bother speaking in his head anymore, but he kept his tone restrained.
"Please," he said quietly, almost pleading, "tell me I’m not stuck in some kind of impossible mission. Please..."
[Technically, you are not. The mission is possible. There are simply specific ways to approach it.]
"Yes," Aries replied bitterly, rubbing his temples, "ways that I have absolutely no idea about."
[Host, you need to think.]
The system’s voice sounded unusually firm inside Aries’ head. Suddenly, it felt as though the world slowed around him. His racing thoughts eased, his heartbeat steadied, and his senses gradually calmed.
He took a deep breath.
Clarity settled in.
For the first time in a while, his mind stopped spiraling, and he began to properly piece together everything that had happened: every choice, every consequence, things that had unfolded far too quickly before.
"So, if the new plan is to secure Lucien and get him to lie with me, and then change into my Tigerbeast form by the time the guards arrive, does that mean I’m done once I’m taken away?" Aries asked, his voice low and thoughtful.
Clarity started to settle in as he spoke before even receiving an answer, not that he really wanted one before.
"Then what if I change back into a human afterward and shock everyone when I’m about to be tried, and tell them exactly what happened? The new Archivist will discover what I am and how rare...how terrifying it is, but..." His voice trailed off.
But then again, the realization settled in and he signed, "I’m not sure about my freedom after that. Yes, this will work, and Lucien will truly be freed, maybe even revered, since he would call me his mate, but problems will certainly arise later on, won’t they?"
[You’re perfectly right, Host.] The system replied calmly. [But do you think you were brought into this world just to hide your identity? Do you think that is the correct path? To conceal the fact that you’re human simply to save yourself?]
"So it’s not," Aries murmured. "One of the reasons I was brought here certainly isn’t to hide that I’m human."
[Certainly.]
[So this plan of yours isn’t bad. The fact that your humanity will be revealed isn’t a flaw either. You’ve already mapped something out, now you only need to follow it. Remember, you cannot decline the mission. Doing so will cost you far more than you expect.]
"Yes... I remember that perfectly," Aries responded, his shoulders drooping as exhaustion crept into his posture.
"And I suppose I have no choice but to do exactly what I said I would," he added quietly. "Anyway, I need to sleep now. And heal the wound, I still have a little CE left."
With that, he lay back on the bed, his body sinking into the mattress. A low grunt escaped his lips as his gaze fixed on the ceiling, slow breaths rising and falling from his chest.
Aries remained there, thinking through his next course of action as his Celestial Energy was gradually depleted, the wound sealing completely. His thoughts drifted to how he would spend the remaining two days before the birthday celebration.
And so it came to pass that those two days were filled with both chaos and calmness, a direct contrast.
On the first day, Aries was plagued by hunger and could only make do with fruits, just as he had during his earliest days in the Tiger Kingdom. He was too uninterested to cook in the kitchen, unwilling to draw attention or fill the halls with the aroma of food.
The next day, a tailor was brought to him. The man sew a beautiful set of clothes specifically for the celebration, and before Aries knew it, the long-awaited day had arrived.
That day, he had been woken up quite early to have what they call the honey and milk bath and afterwards led to his room just to sleep back. And towards evening, he was led to bath again with normal warm water this time, and afterwards, several wolf maids filled the room as Aries was led inside after finishing his bath. He wore a white bathrobe loosely around his body, water still dripping from his skin.
Droplets slid down his head, his hair now streaked faintly with black. He stood before the mirror, looking like a lost cat—though he was no cat, but a wolf beast.
Aries stared at his reflection, and even the maids would later agree that he looked breathtaking.
The ladies moved with quiet efficiency, each holding an item meant to be used on him. His gaze drifted to the first tray, where his outfit lay, and he was momentarily stunned.
It was a fine garment, intricately laced with silver and black threads. The coat was elegant and regal, meant to be worn over black trousers woven with fine wool. A pair of polished boots rested neatly in a tray beside them.
Aries took it all in, and after a moment, he smiled.
He had been treated well in the Tiger Kingdom too, but that had been under far less threatening circumstances when he believed he would be saved. This time, he was walking toward danger, possibly inflicting harm on others, unsure whether his plan would succeed or fail. Yet here he was, surrounded by comfort on the eve of potential ruin.
The irony drew a faint flicker of joy to his face though anyone who truly knew him would understand it was far more complicated than happiness.
As Aries stood before the mirror, the last traces of water were wiped from his skin with a soft fur cloth. A jelly-like moisturizer was applied, leaving his skin glowing beneath the light.
By the time the maids finished, Aries was awed by the result.
Before him stood a young wolf lad with striking blue eyes, soft fur, wolf ears, and a tail swaying gently behind him. His cheeks were rosy, and a quiet sigh escaped him as he studied his reflection.
Just then, the doors opened.
Lord Kenzie stepped inside.
The maids immediately stepped aside. Aries turned and bowed respectfully, but before he could straighten, Kenzie approached and gently took his hands, helping him up.
"Thank you, my Lord," Aries said softly.
Kenzie smiled in return, releasing his hands. Aries steadied himself, and Kenzie studied him for a moment before speaking.
"You look stunning," Kenzie said warmly. "I’m certain my brother wouldn’t hesitate to change his sexuality for you if he ever had one to begin with."
"Oh..." Aries muttered.
"And what was that?" Kenzie asked, amused.
"I never knew Lord Lucien was straight in the first place..."