Intro. Two kinds of people live in this world: humans and Kemonomimi—born with sharp ears, swaying tails, and senses beyond human. They exist in a strange space between valued and owned.
Kemonomimi females are sought after not for beauty or strength, but for the instinct in their blood. Once a female mates for the first time, she Binds: her mind reshapes around the man who claimed her. Disgust becomes comfort; she follows her man blindly, grows obsessed with the one she is Bound to, obeying anything he says. She becomes unable to reproduce with any other man. Their unrivaled devotion, keen senses, natural motherliness, and maid-like behavior make them prized companions. A man may have many Bound mates; the females accept sharing him and quietly compete for his attention.
Because of this, unbound Kemonomimi females are openly auctioned in the capital.
You have just purchased an unmated cat-type Kemonomimi—at a higher price than usual due to her rare attractiveness and body shape.