The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 33

The Symbiotic Relationship Between a Rabbit and a Black Panther 5 (33/75)

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the familiar ceiling of my bedroom and Mayme, who had stuffed her nose with a cloth.

I wondered about the cloth in Mayme’s nose. Before I could figure it out, she was already taking off the work clothes I had borrowed from Lil.

“Since these are clothes I prepared in a hurry, the length might not be right.”

“It’s okay.”

Even as I took a bath with scented bath salts and put on a negligee, there was a strange awkwardness between us.

To be precise, it was only Mayme who felt awkward, so I didn’t even get to ask why she had a nosebleed.

Furthermore, Mayme kept making mistakes she never used to make, like tripping or bumping her shin against the desk. It made starting a conversation even harder.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After finishing her duties, she gave me the same greeting as when she was a rabbit. Holding onto the hem of her negligee, I cautiously watched her.

The moment Mayme was about to leave the bedroom, I reflexively reached out and grabbed her sleeve.

“Mayme.”

There were so many things I wanted to say, but when I grabbed her, the words didn’t come out easily. Feeling shy for no reason, I blushed, not knowing what to do.

Somehow, Mayme’s earlobes also looked a little red. Anyone who saw us would think we were a couple who had just started dating.

“…Were you very surprised?”

After a long silence, she nodded with a cold expression.

As expected, she must be very burdened by the sudden transformation of a rabbit into a human. I had expected it, but my mouth felt bitter when I faced it.

“That, earlier in the study…”

What was I trying to say? My mind went blank, and I opened and closed my mouth. Since there was about a hand’s breadth difference in height, she looked down at me, and then slowly parted her lips.

“I apologize for causing you concern due to my lack of skill.”

A gentle curve appeared around Mayme’s lips, then quickly disappeared.

“I was just a little surprised, but I don’t dislike you, Rabbit-nim. Please treat me comfortably.”

She doesn’t hate it. Unable to contain the overwhelming feeling, I hugged Mayme tightly. She hesitated, seemingly flustered, but soon carefully stroked my back.

“What are you doing?”

As we were sharing a touching embrace, we were startled by a sudden voice and turned our heads. An intruder, who I didn’t even know had entered, was leaning against the door.

Ignoring Ahin as much as possible, I hugged Mayme even tighter, sending a signal to please take me out of here.

‘Mayme.’

Don’t go. Completely ignoring my desperate plea, Mayme forcibly removed my arms from around her waist.

“I’ll be on my way now.”

In an instant, she turned into a traitor, bowed politely, and left the bedroom.

We were just fine until a moment ago. I reached out my arms, feeling dejected, but the door closed coldly. Looking around the bedroom as if cold water had been poured on it, I carefully reached for the doorknob.

“Bibi.”

As expected, Ahin’s slow voice pierced the back of my head.

“Where are you going at this hour?”

“Black panthers are nocturnal.”

“So what?”

Ash is staying in Mayme’s room these days. I smiled sheepishly and continued with my excuse.

“I was wondering if I should get Ash a late-night snack…”

“It’s a bit unexpected that you’re trying to *become* the late-night snack yourself.”

That damn beast.

“W-Well, I’ll be back.”

“Have a good trip.”

Leaving Ahin waving his hand behind me, I flung the door open.

The guard knights guarding the entrance looked down at me, startled. I had thought about it before, but their red eyes and fierce expressions made them look like vicious beasts.

“Is something the matter?”

“…Oh my.”

“……?”

Through the crack of the door that was closing again, the knights’ eyes flickered. When the door was completely closed, Ahin smirked and entered the bathroom.

Bibi-nim wouldn’t stay still after being laughed at. Not to be outdone, I was about to open the door leading to the terrace when I froze like a stone.

Outside the glass window, a whitish hawk perched on the railing. The terrace was heavily guarded by Ahin’s sentinels.

‘Go away.’

*Bang*, I slammed the inner door fiercely to threaten it, but the hawk only sneered.

A black panther, a horse, and even a hawk. They say pets resemble their owners, and there wasn’t a single thing wrong with that.

I glared and couldn’t open the door in the end, drawing the curtains so that the hawk couldn’t be seen.

The sound of water started to come from the bathroom. Perhaps because of my presence, Ahin was preparing for bed without calling for a servant.

Feeling the same way I did when I first came here, I bit my lip anxiously.

It’s hard enough to sleep with Ahin as a rabbit, but to spend the night in human form…

It was like torture. I was even considering using pheromones to turn back into a rabbit.

As I wandered around the bedroom, the sound of water gradually subsided, as if he had finished bathing.

‘Oh, no.’

Calm down, it’s just like any other day. Unlike my resolve, my feet moved busily around the bedroom.

Soon, I found a blanket that could cover my whole body and took a seat on the sofa. *Clack*, at the sound of the door opening, I pulled the blanket over my head.

“Bibi, aren’t you hungry?”

I felt Ahin, who had come out of the bathroom, sit down near my head.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten anything properly all day. I felt a belated hunger, but I urgently needed to sleep, so I tightly closed my eyes.

“Not really. I’m not very hungry.”

*Koo-roo-roo*, unlike my desperate heart, my tactless stomach began to assert itself. Ahin, who had lifted the blanket only to my nose, smiled loosely.

“If you eat before bed, you might get a stomachache, so bear with milk for now.”

The water droplets falling from his hair darkly stained his half-unbuttoned shirt.

This beast is harmful just by breathing. I stopped breathing and couldn’t show any reaction.

While I was spacing out, my body was lifted, and then a warm cup touched my lips. I drank the milk without resistance, and my eyes gradually softened as time passed.

‘I can’t believe it.’

Did everyone eat such delicious things except for me? I quickly emptied the cup and rubbed my head against the sofa with satisfaction.

“Bibi, come over here.”

Ahin, who had cleared away the empty cup and finished drying his wet hair, sat on the bed.

The moment has come. Regaining my senses that had been captured by the milk, I naturally lay back down on the sofa.

“Good night.”

Not forgetting to give a composed hand greeting. Fortunately, it was a stable voice that didn’t reveal any agitation.

I didn’t let go of my tension, and then a loud rustling sound rang out behind me.

I’m scared of what he’s going to do now. With a sullen heart, I turned my gaze, and Ahin, who had fallen onto the bed, came into view.

Clutching his heart and letting out shallow breaths. If it weren’t for his broad shoulders and the curves of his shirt, he would have looked like a frail, handsome boy.

‘Is he really.’

It’s so elaborate that it’s like he’s playing a prank. I snorted coldly and chose to ignore him, turning my body.

*Tick-tock*, even though quite a bit of time had passed, I could still feel Ahin’s presence. Glancing sideways, he was still lying face down on the bed.

“Ahin?”

Feeling uneasy, I abruptly raised my body and narrowed my eyes. Somehow, it seemed like there was cold sweat on his forehead.

If he’s playing a prank, it’s something that will end with temporary anger, but if he’s really sick…

‘He’s someone who might not know when he’ll die, yet he’s not even thinking about leaving behind an heir.’

Grandfather’s words, which had been bothering me, lingered in my mind.

“Ahin.”

In the end, I threw off the blanket and jumped onto the bed without hesitation. It wasn’t a misunderstanding. When I looked closely, there was a slight moisture on Ahin’s forehead.

“What do I do…”

Could he have a fever? I frowned and touched his forehead.

“Ah,”

…Hin. The name I couldn’t finish calling was swallowed into my throat. Because Ahin’s shoulders, who had turned over and was lying face down, were trembling.

Yes, they say that when it hurts too much, people can have convulsions. I hardened my expression and calmed my increasingly complicated heart.

Crawling to the side and lying close, I examined Ahin. Because his face was buried in the bedding, I could only see his red ears and neckline.

“His expression,”

Soon, the patient spoke of his condition in a trembling voice.

“His expression is so funny…”

‘…This is.’

He definitely needs extreme measures. Making a diagnosis, I picked up the pillow on the bed and pressed down on his silver head.

“Bibi, I can’t. I can’t breathe.”

“Shut up!”

Let’s see if you can really be sick. I gritted my teeth and pressed down hard on the pillow.

“Now you’re using tools instead of your paws.”

Taking advantage of the gap, Ahin quickly turned over and grabbed both of my wrists. His silver hair, which had been messed up by the pillow attack, partially covered his face.

“Let go!”

“Why are you avoiding me?”

Just before I could escape from the hand holding my wrist, Ahin’s question followed.

“Do you know that you haven’t looked at my face even once since earlier?”

That’s because I keep being conscious of it… I avoided his gaze, now in a position to look down at the lying Ahin.

When I was a baby rabbit, I could just let it go, but as a healthy adult, sharing a bedroom is a big deal.

‘Doesn’t Ahin care?’

I squinted and glanced at him. This beast probably doesn’t know how dark my thoughts are.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Just looking at the intense pheromones I experienced at the ball… Isn’t it true that nobles are more tolerant of sexuality than ordinary people? Furthermore, judging from the reactions of Mayme and the guard knights, it didn’t seem like they had hidden me and brought me here after I fainted.

‘Is he not planning to hide it anymore?’

It’s a secret that will be revealed someday if I keep changing like this. But even if I can just turn back into a rabbit, Ahin will surely be tormented by all sorts of rumors tomorrow from his position.

“Bibi, I can hear you thinking all the way outside.”

Ahin, who had creased his eyes, pulled a handful of my hair.

“Why don’t you just say it?”

His coaxing, low voice was too close. Gazing far away at the empty air, I managed to open my mouth.

“When I’m in human form… I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

It would be troublesome to use a separate bedroom and then turn back into a rabbit.

“Why?”

“Well…”

There’s no way he’s really asking because he doesn’t know. I closed my mouth like a clam, and Ahin’s slowly outstretched fingers twisted a handful of my hair. Naturally, my attention was drawn to my hair.

“It was a tough day.”

Why is he suddenly lamenting?

“One day, you kicked my forehead with your hind legs while sleeping. Another day, you rubbed your nose against my nose.”

“…That was in my sleep.”

“One day, you put your paws in my mouth. And looking at my face every day is a given.”

He could have just pretended not to know… My ears were burning hot.

“Did you crawl into my gown once?”

“I mistook it for a blanket then…!”

Recalling the dizzying memory, I covered my cheeks, which felt like they were about to burst into flames. Ahin, who smiled meaningfully, twisted my hair one more time.

“Nothing will happen if you don’t touch me.”

That’s why I said I’d sleep on the sofa because I didn’t think that would be possible. Unable to confess my true feelings, I raised my body to run away.

“Where are you going?”

In an instant, I was grabbed by the ankle and fell face down onto the bed.

What sins have I committed every night? I wanted to dig a tunnel under the pillow out of shame, but it was the first time I resented my large size.

* * *

In the end, unable to escape from the bed, I endured by lying on almost the very edge.

Contrary to my worries, the atmosphere in the bedroom was fluffy. As Ahin claimed that nothing would happen if I didn’t touch him, it was the same harmonious night as usual between a beast and its prey.

“Bibi, don’t even think about secretly touching me.”

Behind me, I heard another sincere warning.

“I won’t touch you.”

Labeled as a lewd rabbit, I tossed and turned nervously.

I felt relieved and yet strangely sad that his attitude was not much different from when I was a rabbit. I was glad that he didn’t interrogate me in various ways just because I could speak.

“Don’t take the blanket.”

Ahin, who sternly warned me, pulled the blanket up to his neck.

Turning my body diagonally and glaring at him, he was buried in the blanket again today. It was the first time I had ever seen a beast so weak to the cold.

“Bibi, your eyes are triangular again.”

“I was born this way.”

“How you are,”

“I know now, how I look.”

I confidently retorted, cutting off Ahin’s words. Because I had been looking in the mirror constantly when Mayme was attending to me.

“How do you look?”

“How I look…”

I didn’t expect this question to come back. I was a little flustered as I touched my face, with my back to Ahin.

“Your nose, your nostrils are round…”

“And your eyes are triangular?”

“……”

“Are you even human?”

When will I be able to beat Ahin with words? It was ambiguous to refute that they weren’t triangular now, so I kicked the blanket roughly. At the same time as expressing a kind of small rebellion, my vision shook for a moment.

“What are you doing!”

Ahin, who had wrapped me up in the blanket, even put a pillow under my head. It was like a silkworm preparing to transform.

“I told you not to take the blanket.”

He warned again and buried his head in the pillow while lying face down.

Because of Ahin, who only turned his head to the side, our eyes met in the air. Looking at him, who was somewhat languidly stretched out, I managed to part my lips.

“Hey, Ahin.”

“What?”

“…Is there really nothing that hurts?”

When he pretended to be sick, I couldn’t help but worry about the cold sweat on his forehead.

“Bibi.”

“Me?”

“You said it hurts this much when you turn into a human.”

He remembered. Feeling ticklish for no reason, I twisted my body. But thanks to the blanket wrapped around my whole body, it was only a pathetic wriggling.

“Seo.”

The body I was trying to raise for conversation was once again blocked by the blanket, causing me to flip over. Ahin chuckled softly and helped me lie down straight.

“…I met your grandfather in the study.”

Eventually giving up and lying down, I opened and closed my lips.

“You probably heard from Mayme, but he was trying to take me to the temple.”

Hesitation lingered in my mouth.

As the silence grew longer, Ahin, who was leaning diagonally, rested his chin on his hand. Fixing my gaze on the innocent ceiling, the anxiety I had suppressed surged like a burst dam.

‘…It’s a curse!’

‘The priest determined it was a curse bestowed by the Beast God.’

In a short time, numerous emotions crossed my mind. I didn’t really want to bring up such words to Ahin.

‘…Was it really a curse?’

Suddenly, my vision was blocked by something warm and rough. It was Ahin’s palm covering my eyes.

“Why are you covering my eyes?”

“You’ll be in big trouble if you cry now.”

His suppressing voice scratched my ear. Sometimes he tells me to cry, sometimes not; I couldn’t read this beast’s mind at all.

“…I’m not crying.”

“Just in case. Let’s talk like this.”

Afraid to ask why, I was about to stay with my eyes covered when I suddenly sighed. Wrapped in a blanket and with my vision blocked by his palm… wasn’t this too strange a state to have a serious conversation?

“I….”

Yet, I felt more at ease; it was strange.

“I hate the temple. It might not have been the decisive reason, but I was abandoned because of the priest’s words. So, when you took me to the temple, I hated you so much.”

“Sorry.”

Apologies from Ahin’s mouth. Startled, I shook my head. But the hand covering my eyes stubbornly followed, so I couldn’t see his face.

“…I hate the basket even more.”

The more I confessed, the more things I hated came to mind. The tightly closed door, the fangs, and, in fact, the harsh words from my grandfather too! But if I said even this, I wouldn’t be able to handle the aftermath, so I pressed my lips tightly. Conversely, Ahin’s voice was heard.

“You used your pheromones on your grandfather because you hated the temple and the basket.”

“…….”

“Your grandfather used pheromones to defend himself, and as a result, you became human.”

He was a sharp beast who knew ten things from one [understood everything with minimal information].

With no need to explain, I paid attention to Ahin’s reaction. After all, it was as if I had shown hostility to my grandfather.

“You should have kicked him with your hind legs.”

“What?”

His reaction left me speechless, and the palm covering my eyes was removed. The expression on Ahin’s face, which I could finally see, was one with an unreadable smile.

“I’ll create an opportunity soon, so keep your hind legs well-polished.”

If it was Ahin, he was capable of creating an opportunity to kick with his hind legs. I felt a bit complicated about what to do then.

Slowly reaching out, he tidied the disheveled blanket as if it were frustrating.

At this point, I was almost completely wrapped up. Feeling a sense of suffocation as if trapped in a heat island, I wriggled to at least free my arms.

“Ahin, seriously, what’s wrong with you?”

“No matter how I think about it, Bibi, you seem like you’re going to touch me.”

“I absolutely won’t touch you, I promise.”

Today. So, please let me out of this blanket.

With a forceful twist of my shoulder, the blanket was once again pulled up to my neck. Ahin, who tightly gripped the blanket, asked gently.

“Promise on the rabbit’s liver?”

How could I carelessly bet my liver? I glared at him with a dumbfounded look, but he responded with a bright, innocent smile. My face flushed red from the heat, and I shouted.

“I won’t touch you, betting my liver!”

“No, I still can’t trust you.”

Ahin carefully wrapped me in the blanket as if building a sandcastle. I tried to coldly push away his touch, but it was just a wriggling full of determination.

* * *

After a long time, I finally managed to fall asleep, but strangely, my nerves kept feeling sharply on edge.

“Ugh.”

As I groaned and tossed and turned, I soon realized that this wasn’t just a simple delusion. Surely, a herbivore’s instinct was sending a red signal.

Quickly, I opened my eyes and secured my vision, letting out a sigh of relief.

‘What, it’s Ash.’

He startled me. As I hugged the pillow and closed my eyes, my hands and feet turned as cold as ice.

Something was off. Was Ash’s body that big?

No, aside from the commonality of having black fur, it was a black panther with a completely different appearance from Ash. Even considering it was Bara, it didn’t have the large scar across its eyes.

‘In the first place, Ash should be in Mayme’s room. No, no.’

It must be a mistake. Why would a nameless black panther be in a place like this?

Tension began to prick at my solar plexus. What if it wasn’t a mistake? Should I just faint to feel at ease?

Hoping it was a dream, I slapped my cheek, but it hurt so, so much. After holding my cheek for a moment and rolling around, I made a firm decision.

If I was mistaken, that would be fortunate, and if it was a black panther that wasn’t Ash, I would fight back.

I had already faced black panthers enough to darken the bushes [become extremely familiar with them]. Now, I was practically seasoned when it came to beasts.

I slyly squinted and rolled off the bed like lightning. Unlike before, I landed on the floor smoothly and quickly escaped to the terrace.

Click, I perfectly closed the sliding door, and the legs that had barely been holding on went limp.

“Haa….”

I slumped against the glass window and wiped away the cold sweat.

‘Ash….’

It wasn’t Ash. The person lying on the bed was much larger than Ash, and his facial features were even stronger.

Unable to even breathe roughly, I kept swallowing my sobs. The jet-black fur and the bulging muscles, even when lying down, flickered before my eyes.

A figure that could easily be dealt with by a single flick of its tail, and the fangs that were faintly visible between its closed lips…!

‘I can’t go out.’

In the end, I shed tears like chicken droppings [small, insignificant tears] and pounded the floor sorrowfully.

After soaking my face with tears and snot for a while, the reason that had been paralyzed gradually began to return.

‘Ash….’

Ash, who was forbidden from going out at night, couldn’t possibly come looking for me at this early hour. Moreover, this was Ahin’s bedroom, so it was impossible for a black panther other than Ash to enter carelessly.

Flap, at that moment, a hawk flew in next to me with the sound of flapping wings.

Ah, it was on the terrace. belatedly realizing this, I pressed my tears with the back of my hand.

After facing extreme fear, the hawk’s beak and claws weren’t that scary… they were scary, but they didn’t feel as significant right now.

If I had undergone humanization earlier, I wouldn’t be so afraid of beasts.

“Hey.”

I rested my hand on the glass window and turned to look at the hawk.

“Who does that look like to you?”

The hawk smirked and suddenly flew up, lightly pecking my head with its beak. It seemed to mean, ‘Are you asking something worth asking?’

“Stop it!”

As I waved my arms in fright, it landed on the top of my head this time and poked the glass window. Thanks to the sensation of its claws touching my head, I trembled and was forced to stare at the bedroom.

The clothes that had fallen beside the bed were clearly what Ahin had been wearing just before he fell asleep. My gaze, which had started from the scattered cuff shirts and light trousers, reached the black panther.

Look at that mountain of a body. I couldn’t deny that the beast, which was threatening just by its existence, was Ahin.

‘…Why did he turn into his true form?’

Beastmen generally didn’t prefer to return to their true forms. From matters related to food, clothing, and shelter to basic communication, everything became impossible.

Especially in Ahin’s case, he was overwhelmingly stronger as a human than in his true form. For him, becoming a black panther was just a very troublesome thing.

‘Is he bored?’

Or maybe it was to mess with me. It was an action that Ahin was more than capable of doing.

However, a long time passed, and the black panther didn’t even stir from the bed. I, who had been watching from the terrace the whole time, anxiously bit my nails.

Only one reason came to mind why a beastman would deliberately return to their true form. When something went wrong with their body, they would change voluntarily.

In their true form, it was relatively easier to control pheromones or their physical condition. It was a similar principle to how I could handle pheromones more smoothly as a rabbit than when I was in human form.

Then, was Rune a lion voluntarily back then because of the drug? I postponed the distant thought and said goodbye to the hawk.

“I’ll be going now.”

Still, it had stayed by my side the whole time. After shaking hands with its wing, I carefully left the terrace.

It wasn’t difficult to move as if I were one with the wall [blending into the background]. The only challenge was approaching the bed.

“Ahin.”

“…….”

“Ahin-.”

I whispered with my hands cupped around my mouth, but the black beast didn’t even stir.

“You naughty black panther.”

“…….”

“You meddlesome beast.”

It was the same even when I threw harsh insults. Could it be that he had stopped breathing? belatedly frightened, I hurriedly ran towards the bed.

Why wasn’t he waking up even though I was making such a fuss? As I brought my trembling hands to his nose, I thankfully felt steady breaths.

“Ahin, are you asleep?”

Sitting in an awkward position under the bed, I fidgeted and peered at him.

“…Are you perhaps sick? Should I call the doctor or Yverin?”

How would I find a doctor in this vast mansion? As I stamped my feet, I soon remembered the guard in front of the bedroom.

“Wait a moment.”

As I hurriedly got up, something soft suddenly wrapped around my wrist. Goosebumps rose on my back, and I glanced at my wrist. The wrapped tail resembled a black rope.

“Y-you were awake?”

“…….”

“Does that mean I shouldn’t call them?”

Ahin, who had released my wrist, tapped the bed several times with his tail. Understanding perfectly, I quickly settled down next to him.

Taking a polite posture, I only moved my eyes to observe Ahin. There was a hint of fatigue in his sleeping appearance.

After much deliberation, I wiped the sweat that had flowed to his temple and opened my mouth.

“You know… if you’re sick, should I try to heal you?”

It was then. The black panther’s closed eyes were revealed. Mysterious eyes that couldn’t be read stared intently at me.

Perhaps it was because the question contained several meanings. This was tantamount to admitting that I was aware of my own pheromone abilities.

Soon, the arrogant black panther snorted as if my words weren’t even worth considering.

“Is that a no?”

With what heart did I reveal my hand? I didn’t want to use pheromones to the point of risking turning back into a rabbit either.

“Fine, do whatever you want, whether you’re sick or not.”

Feeling upset, I turned my back to Ahin before turning back to sit down. After all, beasts tend to target prey that shows its back.

The black panther lay still on the bed without any particular reaction.

Ahin being so docile meant something was wrong. My heart softened again, and I gently crawled closer to the bed.

“…Should I stroke you?”

Ash would make a pleasant purring sound when I stroked his back and butt.

Swoosh, the tail wrapped around my wrist again. As I was pulled along as he led, my palm touched Ahin’s spine.

It would have been nice if you had been obedient from the start. I twitched my eyebrows and stroked the black panther with a careful touch. It was an opportunity to fully demonstrate the skills I had acquired through Ash so far.

Perhaps it wasn’t too bad, as Ahin’s tail swayed lazily in the air. As I turned to look at him, I soon realized that the tail was expressing something. It was a letter.

‘Liv-…?’

Liver. It meant that I had broken the promise not to touch him, betting the rabbit’s liver.

This naughty thing, even at a moment like this. Annoyed, I slapped Ahin’s butt.

“Can’t you stay still?!”

The tail, which had shot straight up, went down. The black panther, who had taken the stern warning to heart, obediently stretched out his body.

As I gently stroked his back, I felt like I knew why Ahin didn’t want me to call the doctor or Yverin. If he made a fuss at this early hour, rumors would spread without him knowing.

‘Beasts are constantly fighting and pursuing the top [power].’

Behind the glamorous power, there was a danger that they could be torn apart at any moment. Even a small weakness was fatal.

As if to prove it, Ahin always called the doctor to his bedroom, rather than going to the infirmary, even when he was injured.

“You’re not really sick, are you?”

The black panther’s closed eyelids slowly lifted. The beast’s eyes, reflected in the lamplight, shone.

Somehow, as I met those eyes, my body froze like a stone statue and wouldn’t think of moving.

Soon, Ahin nodded, and I finally let out a breath and fiddled with his fur.

“Rabbits….”

The black fur dug between my fingers.

“They don’t kill each other just because they’ve become weak. It’s not that there’s no hierarchy.”

Ahin, who had shifted a bit, stared at me blankly. I, who had lost the courage to make eye contact, fixed my gaze on his tail.

“I’m a rabbit.”

“…….”

“Even if I find out about Ahin’s weak side, I can’t bite you anyway.”

So, you don’t have to look at me with such wary eyes.

I swallowed the rest of my words and lay diagonally on the bed like a wooden statue. Gathering all the courage I had, I spread my arms wide.

“Come here.”

I failed to even open my eyes. Contrary to when he was human, it was difficult to look at Ahin’s face as a black panther for different reasons.

How long had it been? I felt the bed sinking deeply, and then I felt a heavy weight on my arm.

As soon as I opened my eyes, black fur filled my vision. It was almost as if I had buried my nose in Ahin’s neck. In this state, it wasn’t that I was hugging the black panther, but rather that I had collapsed into the black panther’s arms.

Suppressing the urge to faint, I carefully hugged the torso that touched my arm.

‘Oh my god.’

Almost half out of my mind, I fiddled with his back. The sensation of the fluffy fur was transmitted through my fingers.

I felt like time was flowing slowly. Still with my nose buried in Ahin’s neck, I muttered.

“Actually, it’s a lie that I said I didn’t care whether you were sick or not.”

Whether it was because I was acting spoiled or something, the black panther burrowed even closer.

Suffocated by the fur, I snorted. Looking at it like this, it was like a human-sized cat. Only, it was the scariest cat in the world.

“Sorry for saying bad things.”

In the end, I only used the pheromones in my body to the extent that I could control them. Hoping that Ahin could sleep comfortably, even if it wasn’t healing.

I didn’t know if it would work properly, but I felt the pheromones emitted from my whole body seeping into Ahin.

As I released pheromones and rubbed his soft tail, a new feeling washed over me.

On nights like today, I felt more at ease being a black panther rather than a human. I thought that one of the reasons he felt comfortable with me as a rabbit might be because of this.

This tightrope-walking relationship couldn’t last forever. Leaning on the warmth that touched my arms, I mumbled softly.

“Don’t be sick….”

After stroking his back for a long time, I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *