The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 21

Rabbit and Black Panther Symbiosis 21

After repeatedly explaining that “Chun fell from the table, and I just happened to find the rabbit and was trying to take it to the chairman,” Rune was finally free from Valence’s interrogation after an hour.

“Everyone’s lost their minds.”

His complexion worsened in a single day as he crossed the dim garden. A sense of injustice clouded his unfocused eyes.

He never imagined that the head of the family would get involved over a mere rabbit.

Of course, the atmosphere was as relaxed as a casual chat, but Valence’s words and actions occasionally revealed that he was fond of the rabbit.

Rune stopped walking for a moment and touched his still-tingling lips. That little rabbit had incredible strength.

‘I almost got my lip busted.’

He lowered his head slightly, causing the curls near his ears to scatter. As he pondered the earlier incident, he recalled the black panther scent that had bothered his nose.

It was as if he had saturated the rabbit with pheromones, displaying possessiveness. At first, he thought the arrogant black panther had fallen in love, but his attitude toward the rabbit seemed more like that of an owner to a pet.

Moreover, the rabbit, who alternated between human and animal forms, seemed to want to hide that fact.

‘Could it be… that Grace doesn’t know the rabbit is a beastman [a human-animal hybrid]?’

That cunning black panther? It didn’t make sense no matter how he thought about it. Even if he didn’t know it was a beastman, why would he saturate the rabbit with pheromones?

Furthermore, a beastman who has undergone humanization has a limit of only half a day in their true form.

Therefore, it was also strange that a rabbit capable of human form remained in animal form for so long. Wouldn’t it be easier to find what wasn’t suspicious?

‘What are they hiding?’

The timing of the rabbit’s appearance, just as the wolf clan’s activities began to intensify and alliances with the lion clan were being discussed. Everything was full of questions.

Rune slipped his hands into his pockets and lightly licked his lower lip.

* * *

Despite the minor commotion, the ball ended without incident. However, unable to find stability, I swallowed hard in the heavy atmosphere.

As soon as we returned to the bedroom, Ahin collapsed onto the sofa without even changing out of his tailcoat. He seemed to be sulking.

To make matters worse, even Ivelyn, who had followed us in, was giving me a reproachful look.

I was already having a hard time keeping my sanity, so what was all this supposed to be? I couldn’t understand these black panthers’ behavior at all.

After staring at me suspiciously for a while, Ahin said, whining.

“Ivelyn, tell Bibi something for me.”

“Willingly.”

I could hear everything without her having to say it. I grimaced, recalling when I had answered Rune directly. Of course, a strange voice didn’t come out like it did then.

“I’m disappointed, Bibi.”

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

I twitched my nose, finally remembering that I had run like crazy at the ball. From Ahin’s perspective, it was no different from trying to escape after he had kindly granted my request. My conscience pricked me, but thinking about it now, wasn’t leaving the ballroom the best choice?

“Tell her I’m disappointed.”

“Rabbit-nim [term of endearment], Ahin-nim says he hates Rabbit-nim.”

Ivelyn’s serious voice echoed as she carried out her instructions. Ivelyn, if you’re going to relay a message, do it properly.

“How could you leave your partner and try to escape with a lion?”

“Did you prefer the lion over the black panther?”

She wasn’t relaying the message properly at all. Ahin, who had lifted his head from the sofa, stared at Ivelyn.

“Say it right.”

“Rabbit-nim, please say it clearly. Is it the lion, or the black panther?”

“Ivelyn, I was talking to you.”

“I apologize.”

Ivelyn, who didn’t look sorry at all, took a step back. Of course, her posture was very polite. It made me wonder how someone like her managed to keep her head under Ahin.

“Leave.”

Eventually, when Ahin touched the scabbard next to the sofa, Ivelyn disappeared as quickly as if she had teleported.

I stared blankly at her retreating figure, then stiffened.

Even though we spent every night together, I always felt tense whenever I was alone with Ahin. Moreover, I had just created a new secret for him today.

‘Human…’

In this situation full of questions, the only thing I could guess was pheromones.

Both with Ahin and the fox beastman. As soon as I inhaled someone else’s pheromones from close range, my appearance changed along with distinct pain.

“Bibi.”

I looked up at the call and saw Ahin lying diagonally on the sofa, looking at me.

“Where did the crown decoration go? You were wearing it earlier.”

Belatedly realizing that the weight on my head was gone, I looked dismayed. After the incident of turning into a human, there was no way the crown would still be on my head. The faces of Ulpes and Mayme, who had been applauding, vaguely flashed through my mind.

“Well, no matter.”

He smiled brightly and reached down from the sofa to pick me up. He had reduced the rude behavior of grabbing the back of my neck like before, but it was still a touch that made me wary.

Moreover, because he was lying down and lifting me with both hands, Ahin filled my vision as I looked down. His disheveled silver hair and loose cravat looked strangely dizzying, so I avoided his gaze.

“It’s not unreasonable for the lion to be curious. After all, I covered you with my pheromone scent.”

I flinched and looked down at Ahin again. A pure white rabbit was reflected in his red eyes.

‘That black panther’s pheromones are vibrating from you?’

It was the same thing Rune had claimed.

‘But when?’

When did he cover me with pheromones? According to the hypothesis, I might turn into a human the moment I inhaled pheromones from close range.

However, I had never felt any particular scent other than when Ahin bit my neck. Did it have to be a more blatant pheromone than a general scent?

Wanting a detailed explanation, I urged him by waving my right forepaw.

“Since you’re a beastman, you sometimes release pheromones. So, I kindly covered it up with my pheromones.”

Ahin, who kindly explained, lightly shook me from side to side in the air. That’s right, even now, I’m a proper beastman with pheromones felt in my body. As I nodded in agreement while being shaken, I covered my mouth with a shocked expression.

‘W-what did you just say?’

He knew I was a beastman? I felt like screaming. Ahin’s lips curved gently as he looked up at me, who was just opening and closing my mouth.

“I also know you haven’t undergone humanization.”

* * *

White fur and worries scattered in the gentle breeze. I looked up at the unusually high sky and sighed heavily.

‘Rabbit beastmen crossed the border to investigate your survival. Oh, but I killed them, so I didn’t hear anything more.’

Last night’s events floated around in my head. How could he say such chilling things with such an innocent face?

‘I thought all rabbits were like Bibi, but they had more whiskers than I expected.’

I couldn’t even guess whose face he was describing. Anyway, judging from his nature, it was hard to believe his claim that he hadn’t heard anything more. It seemed he definitely knew that I was a beastman and hadn’t undergone humanization.

‘Could he have heard about my family?’

Nobles generally have many children, so children who are a disgrace are easily abandoned. Ahin, being an only child, was an unusual case.

‘The rabbit beastmen who crossed the border… must have been sent by my parents.’

Since those who were killed by Ahin in the black panther territory didn’t return, they might have sent subordinates to confirm their survival.

I felt a little bitter as I came to this conclusion. What would Ahin’s reaction be if he found out the detailed reasons why I was abandoned?

‘I like Bibi because she’s a rabbit.’

The next words that came out made my chest ache for a moment. Being told that it was okay because I was a rabbit was a very unfamiliar expression to me, who had been despised for being a half-beastman.

However, putting all this aside, Ahin’s muttering with a smile erased was the biggest problem.

‘It would be troublesome if you were human.’

I was startled and looked up, but Ahin soon gave me an angelic smile as if it was nothing.

Normally, I would have dismissed it as black panther nonsense, but things were different now. I had turned into a human and back just yesterday.

Perhaps there was a reason why it would be troublesome if I were human, or maybe he was just attached to rabbits. Whatever the reason, it was a truly difficult statement.

‘Does he not want me to become human…?’

I wished I could enter Ahin’s head, even for a moment. Moreover, Rune Manients, whom I had encountered in human form, was also a source of anxiety.

“Aga.”

Valence-nim’s soft call reached my ears as I dug a dark tunnel [metaphor for deep thought].

“Your pheromones are very scattered.”

She chuckled and sipped her black tea. Only then did I belatedly come to my senses and quickly check my body.

I must have carelessly managed my pheromones without realizing it because I was lost in thought. As I quickly reorganized them, Valence-nim gently stroked my head as if she was impressed.

“I feel good when I smell your scent.”

‘Scent?’

Judging from her words, that might be the reason why we often had these tea times.

‘What kind of scent is it?’

It was impossible to smell my own pheromones, no matter how much I brought my forepaws to my nose.

“You have very good pheromones.”

Were they really good pheromones? As I continued to sniff my forepaws, I suddenly stopped moving.

Pheromones. It was a word related to everything that had happened to me recently.

* * *

“Rabbit-nim, please be careful not to trip on the stones.”

Mayme’s worried cry was heard from behind. When I turned around, I was quite far away from her.

‘Quickly, quickly!’

Hurry, Mayme! I gestured with my paws, meaning to follow me quickly, and then turned around and ran again.

Mayme had her own set of rules. Walks were in the garden, reading was in the study, and exercise was in the training grounds.

Therefore, my feet accelerated as I ran towards the training grounds.

‘I feel good when I smell your scent.’

I couldn’t take Valence-nim’s words lightly. As the leader of the black panther territory, she must have reached unimaginable heights.

‘Ahin-nim, you’ve been sleeping longer lately.’

‘I don’t feel like getting up when I’m with Bibi.’

‘Don’t you only sleep in on days when you have a lot of morning work?’

‘Was that so?’

I also listened carefully to Ahin and Ivelyn’s conversations. When I thought about it, Ahin had shown a strange obsession with sleeping with me from the beginning. That might be related to pheromones.

‘Some argue that humanization is delayed when the inherent pheromone ability is too strong.’

A passage I had read in 「Pheromone Theory」. If, by any chance,

‘If I fall into that case.’

I had become a human just yesterday, which I had considered an illusion, so it wasn’t an impossible hypothesis.

The training grounds, the closest place to the tea time location, soon appeared. I stopped with a squeak and kicked my hind legs towards Mayme.

‘Mayme, wait there.’

It was highly likely that it would be troublesome if she noticed my pheromones. I stamped my feet and created a distance so that Mayme looked small.

Fortunately, there were no hawks in the sky to threaten me, and there were no signs of people passing by. Nevertheless, Mayme, who didn’t let her guard down, took out a dagger from her apron.

‘H-how reassuring.’

Leaving her behind, exuding a grim aura, I focused my mind.

Pheromones have unique abilities in addition to having a scent. However, this was not true for all beastmen.

Abilities also differed significantly depending on bloodline, and many beastmen had no abilities at all. Therefore, beastmen with good bloodlines occupied the throne, forming the pyramid structure that exists on the continent today.

In conclusion, I, who inherited the bloodline of the Rabian noble family, had a high probability of possessing some kind of ability.

‘…If I can find it.’

I might be able to be reborn as a beastman who has undergone complete humanization, not a fluctuating human. I had many worries, but it wasn’t too late to undergo proper humanization.

When I thought about it, when I drank Ahin and the fox beastman’s pheromones, my body’s pheromones rampaged to the point where I couldn’t control them before I felt pain.

I raised my body halfway and stretched both forepaws into the air. I gently released the pheromones I had been managing and focused my mind, feeling as if I was gathering that energy into my forepaws.

Then, the enormous pheromones that I couldn’t feel until just before coming to the black panther territory moved.

* * *