Apparently I have put my foot in my mouth, because now the Beast is confirming that breaking his contract and him returning to human form is possible, if unlikely. It's probable that the means to reaching that end wouldn't be very pleasant, if his heart pain is any indication. He seems resigned to remain a Beast forever...and I'm sure readjusting will take a long time for him, post-story.
Love the simplicity of this page, by the way: the meaning of his words stands out stark and strong.