The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 47

The Symbiotic Relationship Between a Rabbit and a Black Panther 6 (47/75)

Aven was a cautious and prudent person. Even though Ahin deliberately spread the word about the rabbit’s existence, it took over half a year before I even heard the name Lavian.

The only way to reliably draw such a person out was to throw bait: sending Bibi in the carriage first without Ahin’s protection.

And setting the destination as the Black Panther territory, leaving her no option besides kidnapping.

As expected, Aven took action as soon as she received the information.

She spent money at the guild to hire manpower, and it took her less than a day to prepare to enter the Boundary Forest to personally retrieve Bibi.

The Boundary Forest was sparsely populated, and security was lax except for the territorial boundaries, making it the most suitable place to carry out her plan.

Even then, she was meticulous. She even had a spy reporting Ahin’s movements in real time.

‘Hmph, save me… please save me.’

The spy, caught by Ahin, gave Aven false information that he was still staying at the mansion.

Immediately, she boarded the carriage heading to the Boundary Forest. Normally, she would have suspected it further, but even if she knew it was false, she had no time or means to do anything else.

After confirming Aven’s movements, Ahin first turned his horse to follow Bibi’s carriage. Queen, Evelyn, and three knights would be enough to stop Aven’s tricks, but it was a somewhat impulsive choice.

At the same time Ahin caught up, the attack broke out. He was eliminating those who blocked him with pheromones, but he thought the inside of the carriage was too quiet.

Puzzled, Ahin approached the window, and he heard Bibi and Evelyn whispering.

[Even if they’re just ordinary thieves… isn’t it dangerous?]

[Rabbit-nim, you can take refuge in this top hat. There’s no time, hurry.]

[Ah, I understand,]

Soon, there was a noise of Bibi stomping and slamming the chair down.

[…Don’t be ridiculous!]

It was the reaction and voice that came out when she was scared.

That meant there was an extremely low probability of her getting out of the carriage. Even though he was sure, Ahin, still uneasy, carefully locked the window latch. He eliminated even the possibility of her opening the window.

Because Bibi sometimes acts like a general. Listening to her, Evelyn’s exaggerations didn’t sound completely wrong.

Ahin dealt with the rabbit beastmen without using his sword at all. It was an action taken in preparation for the absurd situation where Bibi overpowered Queen and Evelyn and got out of the carriage.

“Leave as little blood as possible.”

“Y-You mean don’t show blood?”

The knights who were participating in the battle were shaken as if they had heard something they shouldn’t have.

“Can’t you do it?”

“…Understood.”

So, they had the strange experience of going to great lengths to prevent blood from spurting out during the battle.

After finishing his recollection, Ahin licked his lips with a queasy feeling. He was inwardly bothered that he had chased after Aven without dealing with all the rabbit beastmen.

As he paused in his words and was lost in thought, Aven said with an angry expression.

“What are you doing now?”

A white rabbit, startled by the roar, ran away far away.

Feeling a strange sense of regret, Ahin checked the time with his pocket watch. He felt like this uneasy feeling would only disappear if he checked as soon as possible whether Bibi had arrived in the Black Panther territory.

“Let’s finish this quickly. I’m busy too.”

* * *

Rabbit beastmen. Mother. Fire. Ahin.

Several unconnected words were mixed up in my head.

Slinking, I stretched my arm diagonally as I diligently walked through the bushes following Ahin’s tracks.

“Ash, wait a minute.”

Because I saw a group of white rabbits near the tree roots in the distance.

Ash’s hunting instincts were by no means dead.

It’s just that he wouldn’t attack because he considered me his master, but it wouldn’t be strange at all if he attacked the group of rabbits in front.

‘However….’

I didn’t think I should see him hunting. We were finally able to face each other, and I didn’t want to be afraid of Ash again.

“Ash, can you wait?”

When I took a salute like a knight, Ash responded with a salute without even knowing what it meant. Feeling touched, I patted his butt and ran off to chase away the rabbits.

Thump, the grass scattered as I stomped my feet. The rabbit herd scattered with my loud appearance, but they didn’t run far away.

‘Why are these guys like this?’

Puzzled, I stiffened my expression as I looked at the rabbits hiding behind the big tree roots. There was one that couldn’t run away at my feet.

‘…How did this happen?’

Its delicate hind leg was pierced by a branch. It wasn’t even a fully grown rabbit, so the branch felt like an even more gruesome and sharp weapon.

It seemed like the rabbit that ran away after seeing Ash earlier. The rabbit, unable to express its pain, groaned and exhaled.

I bit my lip tightly as I tried to tear my clothes. I felt like I had to pull out the branch, but considering the excessive bleeding, I couldn’t just pull it out recklessly.

“Ah….”

It would die like this. Even if it managed to survive, a rabbit with a limp would soon be eliminated from the competition for survival.

I looked down at the Perenium [a magical artifact] wrapped around my wrist as I fidgeted, seeing the abundant blood.

Clang, the pocket watch showed off its presence more than usual.

There was only one use left. My petty and shallow selfishness raised its head.

What if I needed to use pheromones right away after using it on this rabbit?

Then I would turn back into a rabbit again, and I wasn’t sure if I could find Ahin in front.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to get such a precious gem again. No, it might be the first and last time.

‘What am I supposed to do….’

Turning my head, the rabbits, whether they were friends or family, were still peeking out from behind the tree roots. They probably knew that Ash was far away, but they couldn’t leave easily.

My loose tear glands broke down, and I looked down at the rabbit.

I’m going to pick it up and go to Ahin and borrow the dominant pheromones. And,

‘And….’

It was all an excuse. I could see the life fading from the rabbit’s flickering eyes, but there was no way it could last until I found Ahin.

It was an inevitable law of nature. Even if you are born as the cub of a beast, the injured cub is abandoned. Just like being abandoned by the family for not becoming human.

I knelt on the floor, repeating countless times rationalizations, hesitations, excuses, and decisions.

‘…If it wasn’t a white rabbit.’

I might have just closed my eyes and passed by. Why can’t you say you’re in pain? Why do you have a family waiting for you?

“Just hold on a little longer.”

Why do you look so much like me? I gritted my teeth and brought my hand to the branch that pierced the rabbit’s leg.

Squeak!

As soon as I pulled out the branch, the rabbit screamed as if it was being torn apart. I was already in pain from that struggle alone, so I quickly used Perenium and pheromones strongly.

I could see the wound gradually disappearing from my blood-stained fingertips. It was still an amazing sight, even after a long time.

After confirming that a foreign skin had taken the place of the wound, I wiped the sweat from my temples. In fact, I didn’t even know if it would be cured, so it was almost a gamble.

‘Thank goodness.’

Unaware of my anxious heart, the rabbit wiggled its hind legs with a dazed face.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?”

This is Bibi-nim’s skill. The rabbit, which couldn’t understand the question, stood up and shook its head with its hind legs.

Then the rabbits hiding behind the tree roots began to approach one by one. The appearance of several gathering together was like they were chattering, so I let out a silly laugh.

I was looking at them with satisfaction when I remembered the setting sky and got up. Now that the Perenium’s lifespan was over, there was no time to delay.

‘Ash, let’s go quickly.’

I have to find Ahin. As I gestured, I felt a strange sense of incongruity.

I clearly said it out loud, but why didn’t it resonate at all?

Thud. Then a huge forepaw was hanging in front of my nose.

‘Ah…?’

Slowly raising my head, I saw the stout jaws of the rabbits. Several rabbits, who had suddenly become huge, surrounded me.

Go away, I’m scary when I’m angry. Accepting it as a kind of threat, I frantically reached out my hand.

But what I saw in front of me was not a hand but a forepaw the size of a fingernail. Standing up on two feet, I groped all over my body.

‘Why did I turn into a rabbit!’

I was sure there was only one use left for the Perenium. While I was looking for the cause, a terrifying shadow fell behind me.

‘Ash!’

The startled rabbits jumped over the tree roots and fell all over the place.

What if Ash attacks? Panicked, I spread my forepaws and tried to mediate the situation.

Ash, who was staring down at me, gently licked my cheek.

My fur stood on end due to the bumps on his tongue, but knowing it was a sign of affection, I nodded. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking the rabbits.

‘I have to go first.’

I’ll think about the reason I turned into a rabbit while looking for Ahin.

I pointed to the bushes and pulled the chain of the pocket watch. I had no choice but to leave the clothes and Queen’s dagger behind.

As I groaned like I was carrying a bundle, Ash picked up the pocket watch instead.

‘If I think positively….’

I might be able to find Ahin faster because my mobility has improved a lot.

‘Ugh!’

As soon as I took a step, I bumped into white cotton and fell down. The identity of the cotton was the rabbit that hurt its leg, the one that had something similar to me.

The rabbit, kicking the ground with its hind feet, shook its head as if telling me to follow. The place it pointed to was the direction I and Ash were heading.

Did my eyesight go wrong if its expression looked cool for a moment? I rubbed my eyes and followed the rabbit because I had nothing to lose.

‘The first time was when I turned into a human, and the second time was definitely today.’

While running, I realized something as I counted the number of times I used Perenium.

Back in the backyard, when I was confronting my mother’s escort knight, the pheromones I pulled up might have flowed in and activated it.

Ahin appeared right after that, so I might have missed it because I was flustered.

‘It’s still hard to maintain my human form with my own strength.’

It’s good that it’s not as difficult to handle pheromones as it used to be.

I deliberately had hopeful thoughts and looked around as I ran.

It was a somewhat difficult scene to accept, with a black panther and a group of rabbits running together.

I shook my pupils and glanced up at Ash. Is it because of me that rabbits no longer feel hungry?

‘Are you okay with this?’

When our eyes met, he wagged his tail like a windmill, wondering what was so good about it. I was just confused about whether it was okay to raise a beast like this.

‘Somehow….’

I definitely shouldn’t let Ahin or Evelyn see this scene.

At the same time as I took a shallow breath, the injured rabbit that was going ahead suddenly braked. A whirlwind was drawn on the dirt floor where it stopped.

The rabbit jumped into the bushes, and now all I could see was its round butt.

‘Does that mean follow me?’

When I peeked my head after it, a wide space with sparsely planted trees was revealed. An old carriage was parked on the flat ground in the center.

Looking around slowly, I quickly stopped Ash, who was about to run out with joy.

It was Ahin and my mother.

* * *

Why are the two of them together, even in the Boundary Forest?

Bibi’s mind went blank. When the expected thing actually happened, her mind was numb as if someone had shouted in her ear.

Belatedly regaining her composure, Bibi pushed Ash behind a large rock.

‘Hide for now.’

The rabbits were still sticking their faces out of the bushes.

Ahin, who was turning his back to them, noticed the stupid gaze stuck behind his back.

As he showed signs of turning around, Bibi and Ash behind the rock lowered their bodies flat.

“…How many friends did you bring?”

Ahin let out a deflated laugh as he looked around at the group of rabbits who only showed their faces between the bushes. Because they were quite far away, they looked like the same face copied.

Judging that it was a large family, Ahin said to the rabbits.

“Why do they all look like Bibi? They look so insignificant.”

‘What?’

Bibi’s eyes immediately turned fierce. Ash barely stopped her from kicking three-stage kicks [a series of rapid kicks] in the air.

“Did you come to watch? It wouldn’t be a very pleasant scene.”

Ahin was more interested in the group of rabbits that looked like Bibi than the current situation. Aven, who was anxious and impatient, urged him.

“…What exactly do you mean by the extermination you mentioned a little while ago?”

‘Extermination?’

Surprised by the unexpected word, Bibi poked her head out. Aven’s expression, visible over Ahin’s shoulder, was not good at all.

“My question first. I endured the discomfort and lured you all the way here.”

“That’s enough when we run into each other at the ball,”

“This kind of talk? I don’t know about me, but there’s not much good for you, is there?”

Aven, who was at a loss for words, pursed her lips.

‘Lured?’

Bibi, who finally grasped the whole story of the incident, wet her dry lips. Even though she didn’t know the details, she knew that Ahin and Aven were involved in the carriage attack as she had guessed.

Thankful for her excellent hearing, Bibi secretly glared at Ahin’s back.

‘Liar….’

I hated him even more for saying that there were things left to deal with, which, when you think about it, he never lied about.

“How many times did you inject Bibi with drugs?”

Click, Ahin asked, checking the pocket watch again.

“Drugs, what are you talking about?”

“Something mixed with the sap of the Blum tree. I know everything, so don’t leave anything out and tell me straight.”

“…….”

“If you answer properly, I’ll tell you what you’re curious about. Aren’t you curious about how Bibi became human?”

The languid voice stimulated Aven’s psychology like sweet talk.

Ash was worriedly looking at Bibi, who had been motionless since earlier. She put her forepaw on top of Ash’s forepaw.

‘It’s okay, I was curious too.’

I need to know what happened to my body. The two of them overlapped their forepaws and stared at the front again.

“Why is that…,”

“Don’t think about using your head, just answer.”

Aven looked around warily. It seemed that Ahin had come alone, but there might be eyes and ears just in case. She glared at the suspicious group of rabbits and muttered softly.

“…Before the age of four, about three times.”

“She must have been very sick. Did you still inject her after seeing that?”

“At the time, it was a secretly popular elixir in herbivore territories.”

“That’s amazing, since when did drugs only found in Harlem become elixirs?”

She didn’t answer anything to Ahin’s sarcasm. It was right to say she couldn’t. The red eyes she faced were so fierce that she naturally averted her gaze.

‘Three times….’

Bibi recalled a time in her childhood when she suffered from a severe cold. Though she should have forgotten, the pain of her body twisting was still vivid. Back then, even the aloof maids would crouch down and check on her repeatedly.

“Did you also administer it to Kairi Lavian, who was born later?”

“…….”

Aven’s eyes narrowed as if searching. Seeing her mention Kairi, it was clear she had done her research, just as she said. She shook her head, offering it as her answer.

“In that case, you must have considered it too. That Bibi’s humanization is delayed might be a side effect of the drug.”

“…I understand that all the other noble children who were administered the drug safely underwent humanization.”

“I suppose so, Bibi is a special case.”

Bibi was so focused on the conversation that she didn’t notice the rabbits surrounding her.

Suddenly, her vision was obscured by fur as she was squashed among the rabbits.

Was this their way of comforting the listless Bibi? Or perhaps it was a protective instinct towards a baby rabbit.

Unfortunately, the language systems of humanoids and animals differed, making it impossible to understand them.

‘It’s okay, I’m not sad.’

After excusing herself to the fluffy cotton balls, Bibi perked up her ears again.

“I am grateful that you abandoned Bibi in our territory. I was even considering leaving your family alone because of it.”

“…I wish you hadn’t continued to interfere.”

“That’s right, if it weren’t for the drug, I might not have even thought about killing you. Well, you are Bibi’s parents after all.”

Aven knew that Ahin’s every word, laced with laughter, was genuine. Beneath her composed facade, her palms were already soaked with sweat.

Meanwhile, Bibi felt goosebumps rising on her back as she had the same thought. The disposal of the Lavian family. That was why Ahin had resolutely taken her away and gone to the rabbit territory.

“It’s troublesome to kill nobles when they’re holed up in their mansions, pretending to be high and mighty.”

Ahin, exhausted from putting on an act he wasn’t used to, rotated his stiff neck. The rabbit territory had stricter laws and regulations regarding death compared to the black panther territory.

“If you hadn’t tried to take Bibi away, you wouldn’t have had to face me here.”

Aven, noticing the strange obsession in Ahin’s attitude, composed herself. If she used the fact that she was Bibi’s parent, there was a chance she could safely escape this situation.

“I don’t think it’s wrong to try to take my child away.”

Recalling Bibi’s purple eyes wavering in the smoke, she quietly added.

“…Bibi didn’t seem to dislike it either.”

“How shameless.”

“What do you mean?”

“If Kairi Lavian hadn’t died, you wouldn’t have given her a second glance. Isn’t that right?”

Kairi…? Bibi, unable to continue, covered her mouth.

Her mind went blank as she swallowed her complex emotions. The news of her younger sibling, Kairi’s death, was surprising, yet it felt like a story from a distant land.

The last image she had of her not-so-close sibling was him mocking her and poking her with his finger. It was an indescribable feeling.

However, one thing was clear. The reason Aven didn’t want to let go of Bibi was ultimately due to the desperation stemming from Kairi’s absence.

Not because she became human, but because she was needed. Bibi, sitting on the ground, felt the sticky emotions fading away.

“How vulgar….”

Aven’s voice, filled with condemnation, trembled faintly.

“…Do not recklessly denigrate the death of a child.”

“So, mentioning Kairi Lavian’s death is denigration, but Bibi ending up in a black panther’s belly is okay?”

Ahin’s words momentarily made Bibi and Ash awkward.

“That’s enough.”

Tired of the conversation that was going back to square one, Ahin drew his sword.

“I thought I would hesitate if I talked to the parents of the woman I care for,”

He sneered. She was just putting on airs, someone he couldn’t expect anything from.

“I can kill you without guilt.”

Beings could sometimes be more virtuous than humans and more brutal than beasts.

Ahin felt sick at the thought that Bibi had lived her entire life in that brutality.

He couldn’t even imagine what kind of treatment she had received and how isolated her environment had been.

Bibi was kind and compassionate. Rather than risk her being lured by deceitful words and taken back to the same environment, it was better not to leave any possibility.

“Don’t feel wronged, I’ll send the Lavian family head along with you.”

Aven, becoming desperate at Ahin’s attitude, forgot her dignity and shouted.

“Ah, you still haven’t answered my question. What exactly does the destruction of the family mean…!”

Ahin glanced at the group of rabbits still watching and slowly parted his lips.

“When the fire broke out in the garden, what was the Lavian family head doing instead of looking for you?”

“What….”

“Bibi and you were left in the garden until everyone had evacuated, so what was the Lavian family head doing instead of looking for you? You were supposed to be his wife and partner.”

Confused, Bibi forgot to hide and stood up, leaning on a rock. What connection did the fire have with the Lavian family head?

“That’s….”

Aven, unable to give any answer, repeatedly pondered Ahin’s words.

The Lavian family head was originally that kind of person. He prioritized his own safety first, and only looked for Aven when he needed to consider the gazes of the evacuated nobles.

However, if his absence was related to the fire, the story was different.

Aven had essentially reported the possibility of arson to the leader herself, asking for the family to be investigated.

Realizing that she had made a careless mistake in her desperation, her complexion turned pale.

Ahin looked up at the sky, which was already on the verge of darkening.

“The fire in the garden was, to be exact, an explosion that occurred in the archive.”

The archive was a place where important documents such as the annual budget and import/export records of noble families in the rabbit territory were kept.

“Isn’t the Amon leader’s side being too quiet, considering the archive burned down?”

Aven recalled the Amon leader’s nonchalant attitude when she testified about the fire, as he was busy looking for cocoa.

He was originally an easygoing person, but one couldn’t know everything from appearances. Aven’s fingertips, with her hands clasped together, turned pale.

Regardless of her anxiety, Ahin continued.

“Setting a fire in the leader’s mansion, even at a heavily guarded ball, is close to impossible. Even if you succeeded, you’d be caught on the way out.”

The blade of his sword, hanging towards the ground, intensified Aven’s unease.

“Don’t you think the security was too lax, even in the garden? Enough for your escort knight to run wild with his sword.”

“…Could it be.”

“They must have turned a blind eye to the fire. They probably kept all the important documents separately.”

A kind smile that made one lower their guard appeared on Ahin’s lips. Aven found that artificial smile excessively unsettling.

“What does that… have to do with the Lavian family head not looking for me?”

Ahin tilted his head, gauging.

Whether Aven was pretending to be ignorant while knowing everything, or if she really didn’t know.

And he quickly stopped gauging. It didn’t matter whether it was the former or the latter.

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

“However, I heard that the side where the import/export records of commercial families, especially the Lavian family, were kept, was completely destroyed.”

“Are you suspecting the Lavian family head with just that?”

“Well, the problem isn’t the fire, but what comes after. The import/export records they were trying to burn are intact, and the Amon leader will soon investigate the commercial families under the pretext of the fire.”

If Ahin’s words were true, Aven, for whom what came after the fire was truly the problem, bit her lip.

The import/export records should somewhat match the annual budget used by the commercial families.

However, since the Lavian family head was also involved in shady dealings, the Lavian family’s annual budget far exceeded the import/export records.

Ahin, facing Aven whose complexion had noticeably worsened, smiled brightly.

“There may be many commercial families, but isn’t the Lavian family head quite corrupt? And I heard that one of his descendants can control fire.”

The downfall of the family head was the downfall of the family. She squeezed out a voice with gritted teeth.

“It’s common for nobles in the rabbit territory to have pheromones that control fire. To suspect the Lavian family with just that is absurd speculation.”

“-Well, the Amon leader will judge that. And that speculation isn’t something you, who got the drugs from the Lavian family head in the first place, should be saying.”

“…….”

“Wasn’t the item Kairi Lavian was transporting also a drug? And the import source was the Endellus region.”

Aven recalled the Lavian family head, who had fussed over her as they were leaving for the ball, saying that the Amon leader’s side seemed to have noticed the smuggling related to the Endellus region.

Her wavering purple eyes turned towards Ahin.

Although there was no evidence, she was certain that the man in front of her was the one who had provided the information to the Amon leader.

“Although Endellus is a neutral zone,”

Aven staggered back as Ahin took a step closer.

“It’s the main jurisdiction of the next leader of the lion territory, so once you start digging, it won’t be easy to get out. That guy isn’t normal either.”

The sharp evening wind pierced through Aven’s body.

“…And Endellus is also under the control of the black panther territory. So you’ve joined hands with the Amon leader.”

“Not exactly joined hands. I agreed to give you and the Lavian family head in exchange for information.”

“Gi, give means….”

“Heads.”

She reflexively touched her neck.

No matter how much the Lavian family was a mid-level noble family, there was no chance of winning if they were torn apart by the Amon leader and the big shots of other territories.

If they were questioned about the fire, it would mean the destruction of the family. If the Amon leader showed mercy, they would at best remain as fallen nobles.

“…The destruction of the Lavian family may also make things difficult for Bibi.”

“That’s funny, considering she’s not even registered in the family register.”

“That’s because she hasn’t undergone humanization…!”

Aven, who was speaking recklessly, realized that it was an excuse that wouldn’t work. It was customary to register births around the time of humanization, but it wasn’t the law.

“Bibi is a non-existent person in the rabbit territory. So it doesn’t matter whether the Lavian family is destroyed or not.”

His red eyes gleamed like a hungry beast.

Aven, who was staggering back, tripped over a rock and fell on her bottom. The sight of the sword blade made her legs tremble.

“Sa, save,”

Aven, trembling all over, noticed that Ahin’s gaze was directed elsewhere. So she turned her head and narrowed her eyes.

‘A black panther…?’

A black beast emerged from the bushes, strolling leisurely. It was the black panther that had jumped around Bibi in the garden.

‘Could it be.’

Aven’s gaze, which had been wandering in search of Bibi, went down.

Walking out next to the black panther was not the woman she was looking for, but the baby rabbit she had seen for nearly twenty years.

“Wh, why are you a rabbit again…?”

It wasn’t just Aven who was surprised.

Ahin’s pupils also widened, rarely. He had noticed Bibi’s presence at some point, but he never thought she would have turned back into a baby rabbit.

Swish, he put away his sword as Bibi approached.

She stopped at Ahin’s feet, walking with quiet steps.

“I was wondering when you’d come out.”

Their eyes met. Once again, Ahin couldn’t read Bibi’s expression.

“I couldn’t force you to come out.”

Bibi narrowed her eyes. Ahin realized that her sharp gaze was asking when he had noticed, and he was speechless for the first time in a long time.

“From about halfway through.”

To be exact, it was right after he said the words ‘the woman I care for’. He felt the flow of pheromones that had come out because Bibi’s emotions had shaken greatly at that time.

Bibi simply agreed calmly after hearing Ahin’s answer. He showed a rare sign of anxiety at her static reaction.

Ahin had helped shake the Lavian family. He had also tried to deal with Aven Lavian and the Lavian family head, and he still had that thought.

However, all of this was done without informing Bibi. Again.

He would have at least reacted if Bibi had shown a reaction, but she was strangely calm compared to the situation. She had even managed her emotions well, and the scattered pheromones were properly managed.

Ahin, feeling that she was distant even though she was close, knelt down on one knee.

“Shall I listen to you?”

His hand stopped abruptly in the air because Bibi shook her head.

Bibi, who was standing sideways, looked at Aven, who was sitting behind her. Her mother, who had always been dignified, was broken both in appearance and in her heart.

“…Bibi.”

Aven gave Bibi a desperate look that she had never shown to her when she was a rabbit.

As soon as Bibi appeared, the atmosphere of Ahin Grace, who had been so terrifying, softened in an instant. Even his unique composure was covered by impatience and disappeared.

Aven’s emaciated hand reached out to Bibi. If Bibi chose Aven, she could think of a more positive solution than now.

Bibi silently captured Aven’s face, which would be the last, in her eyes.

‘Let’s go.’

Bibi, who had turned her back, pulled on Ahin’s pants. Ahin, who couldn’t read her mind at all, followed without a word.

The series of actions Bibi showed were too static. It was as if she had become a real rabbit, not a humanoid.

He realized as he walked in step with her. It was the reaction when the string of affection was completely let go.

Ahin, uncontrollably anxious that the coldness would be directed at him, called out to Bibi, who was walking ahead.

“Bibi.”

She turned her head as she walked diligently.

“Are you satisfied with this?”

It was a question about Aven, who was sitting blankly.

Bibi, who had stopped and looked back for a moment, soon stretched out her front paw towards Ahin.

‘It’s okay now.’

He quickly picked her up, wondering if she would take back her intention to be hugged, and glanced sideways with a sullen look.

It wasn’t Ash who was quietly following. A rabbit army, which he didn’t know where they had met, was rushing after them. At first glance, it looked like a row of white cotton balls were moving.

Ahin, thinking that he would be confused even if he numbered them, moved towards the side where Jane was parked.

Bibi, with only her face out of her pocket, stared blankly ahead.

“You only turn back into a rabbit at important moments.”

Ahin made a soft, gentle voice without any coldness.

“Get angry, ask why you acted on your own again.”

“…….”

“I had a prepared excuse.”

When Bibi tilted her head and looked up, he deliberately put on a pretty smile that she preferred.

“If you keep doing that, I feel like I really have to crawl under your feet.”

He was a beast who was a black panther but acted like a fox to please her.

Bibi, who sighed deeply, shook her front paw, meaning that she would punish him when she got home. She didn’t want to think about anything right now.

Before she knew it, the forest was dark with the evening, and the front was bluish and black. Ash, who had good night vision, led the way.

“Just sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be at the Grace family.”

Those words magically drew Bibi, who was exhausted in body and mind, into slumber. The moon hung over the heads of Ahin and Ash, and the rabbits walking through the forest.

Bibi, who blinked her eyes drowsily, looked up at the moon.

It was a refreshing yet sad evening, having completely abandoned the name of Lavian.

* * *