The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 48

It was a particularly warm day compared to the recent cool breezes.

I woke up feeling the warm sunlight on my belly and wiggled my body, wanting to savor the lingering drowsiness a bit longer.

It felt like I had slept for so long. I was lying on a cushion made of fluffy cotton.

Tap, tap. I rubbed my eyes and abruptly sat up when I heard a strange noise. I had expected to wake up in Grace Manor.

‘It is a manor, but…’

To be exact, I was on a chair placed near the training grounds.

The rhythmic noise of the knights clashing wooden swords echoed, signaling training time.

It wasn’t as scary as I had imagined, since they weren’t using real swords. I had always avoided training, so this was my first time witnessing this scene.

“Did you cough?”

A shadow fell over me as I looked around in a daze. It was Mayme.

“This is the training grounds.”

So, why was I sleeping in the training grounds? As I opened and closed my mouth, unsure what to say, she wiped my face with a warm cloth and explained.

“You’ve been asleep for a full day.”

Apparently, Ahin had been waiting for me to wake up and, tired of waiting, carried me around with the cushion. Currently, I was sleeping in the training grounds, following his schedule after he passed by his office.

I, who had been cleaning my paws in a ‘hooray’ pose, looked pale.

‘He’s really crazy…!’

I had an ominous feeling that he would have acted the same even if I were a human. Was that just unnecessary worry?

“…Ash went to the Boundary Forest to bring Bara. You must decide what to do with her.”

The words ‘Bara’ and ‘disposal’ made my fur stand on end. After hearing Mayme’s explanation that Bara submits to those stronger than herself, I realized the sound of wooden swords had stopped.

‘Is it over?’

When I shifted my gaze to the center of the training grounds, the knights who were looking this way awkwardly tapped their wooden swords together. It was a level of training that seemed like children’s play for regular knights.

‘Something’s strange.’

As I was tidying up my sleeping place, the cushion, the sound of wooden swords stopped again.

So, that’s how it is. Pretending to dust off the cushion, I turned around suddenly like lightning without warning. As expected, the knights who were looking this way were startled and swung their wooden swords a beat late.

“-Ugh!”

Because they missed the timing, one of the knights, hit by his colleague’s wooden sword, tumbled to the ground.

They are definitely watching me. After observing the suspicious knights, I shrugged at Mayme.

‘Why are they doing that?’

Kneeling, she silently unfolded a newspaper that originated from the Rabbit Territory. It wasn’t a newspaper that had gone through the proper channels, but a gossip rag that would be scattered on the streets of the city.

“…They are reading the newspaper.”

“They are reading the newspaper?”

“They are reading the newspaper…!”

The voices of the knights relaying the words in a row could be heard. They were trying to whisper from ear to ear, but it was meaningless in front of a rabbit’s hearing.

‘Wh, why the newspaper?’

Feeling uneasy, I hurriedly unfolded the newspaper.

「The Rabbit, the Black Leopard, and the Lion」

After reading the article, I thumped my chest in frustration. The excuse of being a dancer that I made up in the Rabbit Territory had been reborn as a scandalous love affair.

‘What is all this!’

Mayme, who was calming me down as I huffed and puffed in disbelief, opened her mouth.

“Everyone is guessing that the main character in the scandal is you, Rabbit. They also think you are the same person as the stable keeper that Ahin was carrying around last time.”

Her face looked tired, probably from being harassed a lot by the employees as Ahin’s close aide.

“They don’t know about your human form, but they are almost certain that you are a beast-man [a human with animalistic features]. Still, it’s fortunate that only good gossip is written about Ahin and Rune’s status.”

It was too absurd to be fortunate or anything. Ahin bought me a mansion and gave it to me? Also, if they describe my appearance as the reincarnation of a nymph [a mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden], how could I have the nerve to become human?

‘…A nymph!’

That fairy whose beauty blinds anyone who sees her even once?

Feeling ashamed, I tore the newspaper apart with my front paws.

While I was in the midst of a fierce battle, I felt someone approaching from behind.

“Are you awake?”

It was Ahin’s voice, who had come after supervising the training.

Only then did I remember what had happened before I woke up, and I stopped abruptly.

There should be a limit to acting arbitrarily; I couldn’t just let this one slide.

Even if I was scared, shouldn’t I stand up to him? I had to act cold until we had a proper conversation. Born as a cold rabbit, I turned my head with sharp eyes. And then my breath stopped.

“…Bibi?”

Ahin was wearing thin clothes that he usually wore inside his armor.

It was the kind of clothes that knights wore during training because they were made of sweat-absorbent material, but the problem was that they revealed the curves of his body.

Moreover, his silver hair, wet with sweat and swept back, was truly unbearable to look at.

Did he appear in this attire to improve our strained relationship?

I stared at him, frozen, and felt blood rushing to my face. I wiped my nose with my front paw, and thankfully, there was no blood on it.

Ahin, who had been watching the series of events with a straight face, raised one corner of his mouth.

“Is this what a nymph’s taste is like?”

Please don’t say that word. I pricked up my ears and shook my head.

Without even looking at my reaction, he refused the towel that his personal attendant offered.

“-The nymph rabbit is about to have a nosebleed, so give it to her to wipe with.”

“Yes…?”

“Look at that perverted face.”

The sound of wooden swords stopped again.

This time, the knights didn’t even try to hide their gazes. They were observing what a perverted face was.

‘I’m not a pervert, and I’m not a nymph!’

Dozens of pairs of red eyes were filled with deep conviction.

* * *

Following Mayme’s schedule, I went for a walk with Ash and hopped through the grass.

For the past few days, Ahin had consciously avoided mentioning anything about what happened in the Rabbit Territory. He said I was stressed and had nightmares every night, rolling around in my blanket.

He flatly told me to ignore everything in the Rabbit Territory for the time being.

In reality, I hadn’t completely sorted out my feelings, so I just agreed. After a long time, this hard lump would soften.

‘Bara…!’

Lost in thought, I was running through the grass when I quickly backed away. It was because I ran into Bara, who was being dragged by a knight on a leash.

The claws that had attacked me in the Boundary Forest came to mind, and I instinctively flinched.

‘Where to…?’

Was she going back to the Boundary Forest? If so, there was no need to bring her to the mansion in the first place.

As I speculated, I had a bad feeling. Ahin’s indifferent eyes, which had been about to punish Bara for trying to harm me, flashed through my mind.

I stealthily approached and looked up at the knight, who blatantly avoided my gaze.

Tell me. Only after I glared at him did the knight barely move his lips.

“…There was an order to kill her.”

* * *

Recently, Ahin’s mood had been soaring to the sky and then crashing to the ground.

The cause was solely due to the lump-like nymph.

Until now, Bibi had been acting as if she could leave Grace Manor at any time.

First of all, despite not being shy, she didn’t become attached to the employees. It was partly because she was a ferocious beast-man, which made them afraid.

She also occasionally picked up and read books about the safety of herbivore territories.

In addition, she knew that the ornaments that Ahin, Evlin, and Valens had given her were worth money, so she always hid them in her treasure trove.

The treasure trove was a gap under the sofa that only rabbits could crawl into.

When Ahin secretly hid a jewel as a test, Bibi looked at the sofa with a puzzled expression. She was so meticulous that she even knew the number of hidden jewels.

He vaguely knew that all this preparation stemmed from anxiety.

The anxiety that Grace Manor was not a place that suited her situation, and the anxiety that she might be abandoned someday. The anxiety that came from the primitive instincts of a herbivore beast-man.

It was an anxiety that stemmed from nearly twenty years of experience.

That’s why Bibi was always clinging to becoming human, showing a precariousness as if she were walking a tightrope.

But Bibi.

Recently, she had been showing changes as if she had found a little bit of peace.

The biggest reason for this was that she had thrown away the shackles of her ankles that had been entangled with the Rabian family, and the choice to come to the Black Leopard Territory on her own also played a part.

Thanks to this, Bibi had been spending time feeling a sense of belonging to Grace Manor these days.

The changes started from small things.

She looked for and read newspapers published in the Black Leopard Territory, and developed a relationship with the knights, exchanging greetings.

Most of all, what was welcome was the fact that her expressions of affection for Ahin had increased slightly.

Yesterday, she went for a walk and found a flower as big as her body and handed it to him, and Ahin felt the urge to put it in his mouth and roll it around. The rabbit was meticulous, sly, and even a romanticist.

Up to this point, it was perfect.

The problem was that Bibi had started to keep her distance. She wouldn’t try to come into his pocket, or she would draw a line on the bed before going to sleep.

Of course, it was also a punishment for Ahin’s arbitrary actions in the Rabbit Territory.

However, the biggest reason for keeping her distance was that she had overheard a remark that came out during a conversation between Ahin and Aven.

‘I thought I would hesitate if I talked to the parents of the woman I like, but I can kill them without guilt.’

No matter how much it was Ahin, he couldn’t be calm in front of Aven, Bibi’s parents. To think she had heard what he said as it came out in that situation.

‘Why of all times.’

If she were human, she would have noticed his presence right away.

It was difficult to read the rabbit’s presence, and moreover, it was the result of seven rabbits resembling Bibi scattering Ahin’s vigilance.

Sitting at his desk, he buried his forehead in his clasped hands. He couldn’t just grab the baby rabbit and pour out his feelings right away.

“I’m having a hard time because of the nymph.”

Evlin’s brow furrowed at the sudden muttering.

“I’m always on the nymph’s side. If you’re going to speak ill of her, please find Queen.”

“Who is your master anyway?”

“Power is moving. Recently, the signs of that have begun to appear.”

Ignoring the nonsense, Ahin asked a beat late.

“The Perenium [a mythical substance believed to grant immortality and transformation].”

It was the third time he had asked the same question today. Evlin, looking tired, stood in front of his desk.

According to the explanation, Bibi could transform into a human without pain if she had Perenium.

It was possible to deeply infuse the dominant pheromone, but it was ambiguous to implant it in the body of a baby rabbit or through the respiratory system.

“Is it a jewel that costs one or two pennies? I have to go to the auction house, and for the next two weeks, I will still give you the answer that it has not even been cut yet.”

He was about to be rebuked to shut up and get it right away, but Ahin was quietly burying his forehead in his hands. Evlin, who thought she could say one more word, opened her mouth.

“So, please don’t ask questions for the next two weeks.”

“Come to think of it, I forgot to punish you for losing Bibi in the Rabbit Territory.”

The weight of one word was heavy. Evlin, not wanting to die alone, pointed to the hawk sitting on the bookshelf.

“I couldn’t help it. Because Queen pointed a dagger at you, I was distracted while trying to stop her.”

“Queen?”

“Yes. Even though you begged her to save you, she mercilessly swung her sword.”

In an instant, Ahin’s eyes shone brightly.

“…You made Bibi beg you to save her?”

The hawk, who was just drawing his sword, was immediately disgraced. The hawk, who was about to flee, was hit by Ahin’s pheromones and fell to the carpet.

Evlin, who sensed that it was her turn next, calmly added.

“It seems that you have learned how to aim your healing pheromones. How can we handle that?”

“Did your mother teach you?”

“I don’t know that far. It may have been a fluke that came out in a desperate situation, but it is clear that you have grasped the principle.”

Ahin, who had put Evlin’s punishment on hold, licked his lips.

Recently, the number of times Bibi inadvertently released pheromones had decreased significantly. When using her abilities, she seemed to have started to distinguish between sleep, anesthesia, and healing.

She was learning quickly compared to ordinary beast-men, who slowly awakened their pheromones after becoming human.

“…Why didn’t I think of hiring a tutor until now.”

“It’s okay, I just realized it. You usually don’t think about that when you see a baby rabbit.”

Ahin thought of the Grace Manor’s exclusive tutors.

“What about Mrs. Winslet?”

“She’s a good person, but can you face a strange black leopard beast-man and take classes?”

Wouldn’t she waste half of her time struggling between fear of classes and fangs? Ahin and Evlin, who had the same thought, shook their heads at the same time.

“I’ll have to find a tutor from the herbivore side.”

“The head of the family is proficient in that area, so why don’t you ask him for a favor?”

“That would be better. Oh, what happened to the Rabian family?”

“They are said to be undergoing a thorough investigation by the head of the family. It will probably be difficult even for the fallen nobles.”

Ahin was sorry that he had to keep them alive and well with his own eyes.

However, Bibi, the person in question, seemed to be satisfied with this much, so he couldn’t reach out any further.

Moreover, under the rabbit’s surveillance, he even signed a document stating that he would stop paying attention to the Rabian family and would not act arbitrarily on matters concerning Bibi in the future.

Otherwise, Bibi seemed to be planning to run away to Valens’ or Mayme’s room for the time being. Ahin was now in a position where he couldn’t sleep without Bibi in bed.

Ahin, recalling the footprint-stamped document carefully stored in his drawer, sighed deeply.

“Keep tracking the Rabian family’s movements. …Later, if they show any signs of approaching Bibi, deal with them.”

“Yes. And about the disposal of Bara,”

“I can’t help it, she went too far this time.”

“No, that’s a bit… I think I need your help.”

“……?”

Ahin, who couldn’t understand the meaning of help, blinked.

“You have to see it in person.”

Evlin, who was sparing with her words, led him to the window overlooking the training grounds.

Ahin’s view of the training grounds came into view as he approached the window.

In the center of the flat training grounds, Bara and Bibi faced each other in a confrontation. The chilly wind that blew at that moment led the two animals to tension.

Behind them were Mayme, who was ready to throw a dagger at any time, and Ash, who was pacing around with worry. And several security knights were hiding in various places, watching.

“What are they doing?”

Ahin, who was looking down calmly, asked.

“It’s a duel between you and Bara.”

“So, who ordered that?”

“You wanted it.”

“That can’t be.”

There was no way that Bibi, the coward of the world, would face a black leopard unless there was a conspiracy.

“You have learned that Bara submits to the strong. You seem to be planning to use pheromones, but is it okay to have so many eyes watching?”

“…You’re only planning to use pheromones related to sleep.”

What should he do with Bibi, who he didn’t know where she would bounce? Ahin, who swept back his hair, confirmed Queen, who had already flown into the sky. With his order, it would be a moment to snatch Bibi and bring her.

“…….”

Ahin, who rarely hesitated, looked down at the rabbit standing firmly on two feet. Bibi, who would run away at the mere mention of a beast, was on her own two feet.

“Will Bibi get angry if I stop her?”

“You wouldn’t like it.”

Ahin, who took a small breath, leaned on the windowsill. In fact, if she had the skills to defeat Queen and Evlin, dealing with a black leopard was nothing.

“The help I need means to use pheromones on Bara in case of an emergency.”

“Yes. But I don’t think you’ll lose. The employees already seem to think of you as a beast-man like Queen, so it would be okay to let them know in this way.”

“It sounds like you’re trying to solidify your position.”

“That’s right. As I said many times, you are,”

“-A general?”

“Yes.”

While they were talking, the duel began.

The beginning was a reconnaissance.

Bara and Bibi, keeping their distance, glared at each other and circled the training grounds. Bibi, not giving in to Bara’s threatening growl, twitched her nose.

As an unexpectedly fierce battle of nerves unfolded, the knights who were hiding and watching swallowed hard.

‘I must have been crazy….’

Meanwhile, Bibi was swimming in a swamp of regret.

Bara was not only stout, but also a beast among beasts, boasting bulging muscles and sleek claws.

On top of that, she was a macho in the black leopard world who only followed those who defeated herself.

In fact, Bibi had already defeated Bara once in the Boundary Forest, but Bara firmly believed that the attack at that time was Rune’s.

To think she was doing this to save that beast. But regretting it was already water under the bridge.

If Ash hadn’t followed Bara as she was being dragged away and wet her fur with tears. If Bara hadn’t licked Ash’s tears so kindly there···!

Bibi gritted her teeth. If she defeated that macho and made her submit, Ahin would at least give her a break.

She was thinking of just asking him, but she also felt that Bara, who was burning her fighting spirit, was unpleasant.

She would show Bara the spicy taste of Bibi and use her as a servant···,

“Woof!”

“Ah!”

Bara, mouth wide open, charged in a straight line. Bibi, dodging the bite by rolling around, quickly circled behind Bara and took cover.

Tense, Ahin focused his pheromones at his fingertips, watching her movements closely. He was ready to kill Bara instantly if Bibi was in any danger.

Right, left. As he shifted his gaze, he frowned at the rustling sound of a pen nearby.

“Evlyn, what are you writing?”

The ability to easily evade the initial attack. Plus, the tactic of disorienting the opponent by circling behind them. Evlyn didn’t miss a single scene, recording everything quickly.

“It’s the report that the Lord requested. He said he’s disappointed he couldn’t see it because of his trip.”

“…….”

“Please don’t worry too much. As someone who has suffered from the rabbit’s pheromones… the rabbit is attempting a technique now!”

While Bara was searching for the prey that had vanished in an instant, Bibi circled around to Bara’s injured cheek.

The only blind spot. Bibi kicked off Bara’s body, leaping up and forcefully striking the injured area. *Kang*— Surprised by the unexpected destructive power, Bara retreated.

“While the black leopard has advantageous grip strength and physical condition, the rabbit engaged in the sparring with cool reason and intellect.”

“Evlyn, quiet.”

*Thud*, Bibi landed on the ground, standing on two feet. The pheromones she had built up during the two exchanges of attacks gathered on her front paws.

Now, Bara’s carelessness was over. There was no opening to be found in Bara, who had lowered her body.

*Tap!*

Bara leaped high, intending to pounce from above.

No longer able to endure, Ahin reached out his hand to unleash his pheromones.

At the same time, Bibi *smacked!* Her front paws collided spectacularly.

Bara’s leaping body froze in mid-air, and a moment of silence flowed. Soon, the powerless black leopard plummeted to the ground with a *thud*.

Still standing on two feet, Bibi breathed heavily. It was a posture in preparation for Bara possibly getting up.

Even after about a minute, Bara showed no signs of moving. Instead, a snoring sound echoed through the training ground.

‘Bara?’

Soon, Bibi cautiously approached and tapped Bara’s body with her front paw. She was so deeply asleep that a droplet from her nose burst.

‘I won…!’

Bibi, who was about to burst into tears, covered her mouth.

She defeated the black leopard without anyone’s help. Intoxicated with the joy of victory, she climbed onto Bara’s body.

‘Mayme!’

Standing on top of the black beast she had successfully hunted, Bibi raised her front paw towards Mayme and Ash.

“…Rabbit.”

Mayme, who had watched the sparring without even breathing, had the past few days flash before her eyes like a panorama.

When she first saw Ash, she was just a weak little rabbit tugging at her clothes, asking to be held. Mayme, proud and impressed by the changes over the months, replaced praise with applause.

In response to her enthusiastic reaction, the knights who were watching in hiding also reflexively applauded.

“At this point, it would be okay to show mercy to Bara… Ahin?”

Evlyn, who had recorded even the wave of emotion unfolding below, looked back questioningly. It was about time for Ahin to make a joke, but he was being too quiet.

“What is it?”

Ahin, who hadn’t even retracted his hand that he had reached out to use pheromones, blinked blankly.

“Just because.”

He slowly covered his mouth, which was about to open. Seeing that he wanted to see that side of her a little more, he seemed to be more than just a crazy person, as Bibi said.

* * *

The Grace residence fell into silence. The rustling sound of a pen filling the dawn when everyone was asleep was ticklish yet pleasant.

Leaning on a cushion, burying my chin, I looked around Ahin’s office. All the aides had left work, so only Ahin and I were in the office.

Ahin had been suffering from a mountain of documents ever since he returned from the rabbit territory.

Therefore, overtime, overtime, and overtime. He said he would be lonely, so he brought me to his desk with the cushion. Ash and Mayme could have waited instead.

‘He’s the one who’s lonely.’

Once he carried me around with the cushion, it seemed easy to do it a second time.

It wasn’t particularly bad. I was worried that Ahin might have another pheromone fit at night. Stretching, I tossed and turned, reflecting on the day.

Bara’s attitude after waking up didn’t change like the back of her hand [didn’t change drastically]. Instead, her subtle actions revealed that she acknowledged my rank above her.

She would block anyone from approaching me without permission, or naturally put me first when doing something.

Her eyes became fierce when Ash was so happy that he didn’t know what to do, but actions like kicking or pushing with her instep had completely disappeared.

In short, Bara really made me feel like I was commanding a beast.

Ahin, who heard about the sparring, fortunately postponed Bara’s punishment.

He said that she was now completely Bibi’s subordinate, so he would not interfere at all in the future. But there was an unsettling feeling because of his unusually dark smile.

Still, satisfied with the results, I smiled and rolled over, lying diagonally. I could see Ahin’s profile as he fixed his gaze on the documents.

‘Should I read a book?’

Tossing and turning, I just admired Ahin’s profile. I hadn’t been able to look at his face properly these days.

What is the meaning of a woman he cares about? It must be the meaning I think it is. He couldn’t have mistakenly said a rabbit he cares about, could he?

The more I repeated my own thoughts, the more often I couldn’t face Ahin. I was so embarrassed that I was worried my fur would turn red.

Tossing and turning, I rolled over once for no reason and stared at his smooth profile. His silver hair was slightly disheveled since there was no one watching.

The long eyelashes that drooped down as he looked at the documents created shadows on his face.

How can a person be so pretty? My gaze stopped at his cherry-like lips, and my face flushed again.

I secretly rubbed my nose, but no blood came out.

My gaze continued to move down to the thick-boned hand holding the pen.

In fact, I liked Ahin’s hands the most since before. The back of his hand with bulging veins, and the rough palm, contrary to the back of his hand.

Our relationship always starts with hands. The small change of now offering his palm instead of grabbing my scruff was ticklish.

The hand I was staring blankly at gradually approached me. Ahin’s index finger lightly brushed my cheek.

“Not sleeping?”

How could I sleep at my desk? Just as I was about to shake my head, I suddenly got up. When I slyly made an X with my front paws, Ahin poked my cheek with the end of his pen.

“Still, sleep.”

He seemed to have interpreted it as meaning I couldn’t sleep, but I was actually expressing a heart [love].

It was enough if only I knew. I covered my mouth, wriggling and stomping my feet, feeling embarrassed.

Now that I had done it, I felt like hiding in a mouse hole. At the same time, the reality that I could probably hide enough considering my size was a bit bitter.

Even as time passed, the embarrassment didn’t subside easily.

‘Really!’

Tossing and turning for no reason, I ended up knocking over the ink bottle.

The moment the black ink that had sprung out from the impact flew in droplets, I knew. My precious fur would be mixed with white and black like a chessboard.

Ahin blankly watched what had happened without even trying to stop it.

“…Did you want to become a spotted rabbit?”

There’s no way…. With a guilty conscience, I pretended to be dead in the same position as when I hit the ink bottle.

“So you know you did wrong?”

It was clear mockery. Ahin, who tapped the desk lightly, whispered.

“If you’re alive, please raise your hind legs.”

I slightly raised my hind legs and squinted.

‘Please erase it….’

“I’ll have to clean up the corpse, then.”

Even the words to erase the ink were like him. He stopped abruptly as he reached out to pick up the bell. Ahin, alternating between the office entrance and the bell, suddenly got up without calling a servant.

“Wait a moment.”

He moved and entered the bathroom attached to the office. The sound of water flowing trickled. Ahin soon came out with a wet handkerchief.

“I’ll wipe it off for you.”

‘……!’

I don’t think so…!

I tried to escape, but the desk was impossibly high. He didn’t care and pulled me down from the edge.

“You don’t like it?”

‘Of course, I don’t like it.’

The front paws that were hitting the desk stopped in mid-air. I swallowed as I discovered Ahin’s pitiful eyes.

“There’s only Yuan outside right now. Are you saying I should entrust Bibi’s fur to a strange beast?”

What is all this nonsense? Even though it was persuasion that was not normal in any way, Ahin was very confident.

“You don’t want me to call Mayme, who’s sleeping, do you?”

The pitiful red eyes were all a facade, a beast’s scheme, but my heart fluttered wildly. Ahin gently pulled my hind legs as if coaxing me.

“I can do well too.”

‘Liar.’

It was seriousness that a doctor would say in front of a critically ill patient.

Half resigned, I was quietly dragged as he pulled. Satisfied, he laughed softly.

Ahin began to wipe from the most precious front paws. The sight of his large hands gently rubbing my front paws was quite awkward.

I cleared my throat, feeling embarrassed by the touch that felt like he was handling delicate glass ornaments.

“Today,”

Ahin’s languid voice echoed in the silence.

“I read a book that described how to tame carnivores.”

I, who had been entrusting my body to his careful touch, looked dismayed. Rabbits, who cannot organize the books they read themselves, are not guaranteed any moral rights.

“The effort is good, but if it’s because of Bara, it’s better to throw away that book.”

‘Why?’

Ahin slowly rubbed my cheek with the handkerchief. It was a clumsy skill that made my eyebrows furrow.

“It was wrong from the start to write that you should grab the tail if they resist. You’ll go to the afterlife if you do that carelessly.”

What kind of nonsense is that? I felt cheated and twitched my whiskers.

“Did you check if the author was a goat beast?”

Ahin’s touch, which had wiped my entire face, moved to my back.

Ahin was just wiping the rabbit’s fur, but I, who was being touched all over, was about to explode in my head. While I was stiffening, Ahin murmured as if he was quite curious.

“What is the standard of resistance for rabbits?”

‘The standard of resistance….’

I, who could answer this clearly, pointed to Ahin. Ahin’s existence and life itself were resistance. He blinked as he faced the front paw extended to him.

“The standard of resistance is me?”

It was a rhetorical question that didn’t particularly want an answer. Ahin, who had become quiet, focused on wiping my neck. The touch on my neck was particularly soft and persistent.

Soon, he finished serving and pushed the darkened handkerchief aside.

Was it all erased? I turned my body around, but it seemed I had to look in the mirror to check the stains.

“It’s okay, it’s clean.”

*Whoosh*— Ahin turned off the lamp that brightly illuminated the desk. A subtle darkness came. He, with slightly sleepy eyes, gathered his arms on the desk and lay down.

“I’m a beast too.”

‘Ye, yes, again.’

Was there a need to emphasize it? The fangs between his lips reminded me every time that Ahin was a black leopard.

‘What nonsense is he going to say again?’

I sat down in my place and glared at Ahin with narrowed eyes. As if that reaction was frustrating, Ahin poked my nose.

“I’m a beast.”

‘A… what is it about being a beast?’

“I’ll be well tamed, so don’t have secret meetings with lions or anything.”

I trembled at the unexpected words.

So he knew after all. There was no way Queen would have kept her mouth shut.

I looked around and quickly dropped my gaze to the floor. Ahin often showed unrefined emotions in his eyes whenever he mentioned Rune.

He had this face when he explained that he had figured out most of my secrets. The coldly cooled eyes occasionally aroused a slight expectation in me.

‘Well….’

In the first place, we weren’t even close… Moreover, it was awkward to meet Rune again since the feelings he had for me were favorable.

‘I won’t meet him.’

Why was I so conscious of him about this? It was becoming increasingly difficult to treat Ahin naturally as the days went by.

I slowly approached Ahin’s face and carefully pressed my cheek against his cheek. It was an indirect answer that I wouldn’t do that.

At some point, I couldn’t hear his breathing. I didn’t know if my breath had stopped or if Ahin had stopped.

Soon, Ahin unexpectedly turned his head to the opposite side and lay down. I staggered as the space to lean on disappeared in an instant.

‘How much courage did I muster just now…!’

You have to be moderate with your sulking. I gathered my fur and ran to the other side.

As soon as I checked his face, I couldn’t carry out my decision to kick him with my hind legs.

Because Ahin, whose ears were reddish, was wearing a pure smile without any malice.

The fur was tingling and standing on end.

I swear, this enchanting black leopard could never be tamed. Wouldn’t I just die of a heart attack before that?

* * *

The wind became quite harsh. Therefore, the rabbit-only mansion with a hole in the roof was moved to Lord Valence’s office.

Inside the mansion, inside a warm cup, I was captivated by the heat and looked at the ceiling.

Could Lord Valence be an inventor? A warm cup for days when bathing is impossible. It was her gift, saying she was sorry that the letters were mixed up.

‘…Letters, what letters?’

Could it be that the messenger informing her that I followed Ahin was mixed up?

I thought it was already in the past, so I just entrusted my body to the warm cup.

“Baby.”

Lord Valence’s beautiful face was cast through the hole in the roof.

“Come to think of it, you have new spots.”

She was referring to the ink stains left on my body.

Again, reminded of the ambiguous stains, I was filled with anger. I thought it was strange that he suddenly turned off the lamp at that time. Ahin’s skill, who claimed to have cleaned it cleanly, was a mess.

Mayme wiped it off, but she said it would take a few more days to disappear.

“The smudged look is very cute.”

Lord Valence, who muttered words that I didn’t know whether they were insults or compliments, rubbed the ink stains. Soon, she grabbed the handle of the cup and lifted me up.

“There’s something I want to suggest to you.”

Lord Valence, who smiled gently, sat on the sofa in a straight posture.

“I was wondering if we should hire a tutor for the future.

Learn how to control pheromones and basic knowledge. It would be troublesome if you suddenly turn into a human like last time. Well, the stable keeper was good too.”

I, who got up holding the cup, opened my mouth slightly.

I didn’t think that Lord Valence, who was stronger than Ahin, wouldn’t know that I was a beast.

Still, I wanted to meet her in a better form when I met her as a human. She must have witnessed me wearing Rill’s loose clothes somewhere.

‘Ah….’

Lord Valence, who had a soft strength, had been an object of admiration since some time ago.

I was so upset to think that my first impression on such a person was with disheveled hair and wearing boots. The complicated feelings were expressed with drooping ears.

“Oh my, what part of my words made you sad?”

She, with a troubled expression, quickly took me out of the cup.

“If a tutor is difficult, I’ll cancel it. It’s just a suggestion, so you don’t have to do it if you don’t like it.”

The gentle voice was heard right nearby. I, who had only been disappointed that the wind had broken, quickly recovered and shook my head.

“Oh, I can’t figure it out. I wish there was someone who could interpret the rabbit’s language.”

“…I’m sorry to say this rashly, but it seems that you just wanted to show the Lord only your good side.”

Mayme, who had been waiting at the entrance, carefully added. *Swish*, Lord Valence’s and my heads turned at the same time.

“Is Mayme’s words true?”

‘There’s not a single mistake.’

I, who couldn’t help but be surprised, clapped my front paws together.

I was worried that she didn’t understand my gestures a few times in the beginning, but now she’s at the level of understanding everything at a glance. It was a moment when I realized how capable a maid Ahin had attached to me.

“Oh my, were you worried about that? I don’t care what you look like.”

I felt a soft breath above my head.

“You’re a friend who has filled my lonely tea time for several seasons.”

She stroked my chin for a long time as if she was impressed and brought up the main point.

“I’ll choose the tutor you want. Personally, I want to recommend Mrs. Leila, a Kirin beast [a mythical hooved Chinese creature], but… hmm.”

Lord Valence, who put me back in the cup, trailed off.

“Lord Lillian, who heard the news, said that she wanted to conduct your class while you were staying at the mansion.”

‘…Grandfather?’

I, who immediately recalled his fierce eyes and long beard, trembled my pupils.

“First of all, she’s the dean of the academy, so she’ll be a great role model, but I think she’ll be a difficult person for you. So I’ve been holding it back, but what do you think?”

In reality, isn’t she the most difficult person in the Grace residence? I, who had my chin on the cup, seriously pondered.

‘Maybe the grandson needs you every moment.’

‘Go ask Lillian, that old geezer. Maybe she’ll give you a better answer than this old man.’

There weren’t many options. It was true that I was afraid, but maybe she was the one who would tell me the truth I wanted to know the most. It didn’t take that long to decide.

* * *