The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 54

There wasn’t even time to revel in the overwhelming emotion and relief. Screeching, I slammed on the brakes with my feet and looked up at Ahin, panting.

“Bee,”

‘This is bad…!’

The moment he, standing right in front of me, parted his lips, I stood on two feet and vigorously wiggled my butt, signaling.

I think I’m about to turn into a human soon. With pleading eyes, I fluttered like a butterfly and spun like a bee.

Swish, I even succeeded in spinning four times for the first time and checked on Ahin out of the corner of my eye.

‘There’s no time.’

His expression hardened, and he was just busy following my gestures with a blank look, unable to interpret them.

‘…What are you doing, spacing out!’

While dancing the traditional dance of the rabbit tribe, which required wiggling my whole body, I discovered the red cloth in Ahin’s hand.

Could it be that Ahin anticipated this and came running? After stopping the dance, I rushed to grab the edge of the cloth, and only then did he come to his senses and kneel down.

Ahin’s hand slipped several times before he took out a familiar object from his pocket. It was a pocket watch decorated with Perenium [a rare and valuable metal used in magical artifacts].

To strongly inject the dominant pheromone into the body, he had to use the respiratory system or a wound, so it seemed he judged Perenium to be the best method as well.

My heart pounded as if pain would overwhelm me any second. I jumped in and injected healing pheromones into the Perenium, and at the same time, a bright light spread out.

‘It’s changing.’

The moment I thought the height of my vision was changing, my entire field of vision was covered in red.

Soon, a firm arm wrapped around my waist. My feet lifted into the air, and I flailed my arms in the anxiety of not being able to see.

In that state, I felt my body swaying, and then there was a loud noise of a door opening and closing.

I felt Ahin, who was holding me in his arms, sliding down as if collapsing. His relieved breathing stimulated my sensitive hearing.

‘…I can’t breathe.’

Almost completely wrapped in the cloth, I twisted my body and barely managed to stick my head out.

The moment I poked my head out, half-opened red eyes were right in front of me. I stopped wiggling my body. Since I was sitting diagonally in Ahin’s arms, the distance was too close.

“E, Ezran-nim’s….”

I rolled my eyes and barely opened my mouth.

“…I inhaled the pheromones.”

“Don’t make me sweat so much.”

Ahin lowered his head and buried his forehead in my shoulder.

“Please.”

I couldn’t find the usual composure in Ahin who said that. I even glimpsed a hint of anxiety.

Every time Ahin rubbed his forehead against my shoulder, I smelled his unique fragrance.

When was the last time I smelled blood on him? While having thoughts that didn’t suit the situation, I glanced around. It was a space like a reception room that wasn’t currently in use.

The silver hair right next to me brushed my cheek. Feeling the soft sensation, I parted my lips.

“How did you know to come?”

“The Lion’s maternal grandfather is good at showing off his strength.”

“…So you came running?”

I suppressed the feeling tickling my chest and asked carefully. Why do I want to confirm this so much?

The lingering feeling of when I found him running from the opposite side when I wished for it more desperately than ever hadn’t faded.

Ahin slowly raised his head and met my gaze.

“I feel like I run every day.”

He stared at me for a moment, then folded his eyes beautifully as if trying to captivate me.

“I guess you didn’t think so?”

Come to think of it, Ahin always came to find me. Realizing this anew, my face flushed. Feeling like my toes were curling, I quickly straightened my expression.

Currently, I was in a state where I wasn’t wearing a single thread other than the red cloth because I was turning from a rabbit into a human. Every time the cloth brushed against my bare skin, goosebumps rose all over my body.

“Beebee, why are your eyes like triangles…,”

Ahin, who was asking curiously, suddenly hardened his expression. It seemed he had arrived at the same thought as me.

The arm wrapped around my body tightened, and I felt it gradually stiffening. A heavy silence descended.

He was so calm when we first met in human form in the shanty. Ahin’s significantly different reaction made my heart even more complicated.

Unable to endure the dizzying silence, I slipped further into the cloth. My vision was covered with the red cloth instead of Ahin, but rather, my senses became even more sensitive, and my heartbeat grew louder.

“Excuse me.”

The sound of knocking on the door broke the silence that seemed like it would last forever.

“I brought the clothes for the Rabbit-nim to wear.”

The owner of the voice was Mayme.

Relief washed over me that I had overcome the crisis, but strangely, I felt a sense of disappointment. Maybe I really am a perverted rabbit as Ahin claims.

* * *

The black panthers inhabiting the Forest of Boundaries were those who had been trained from a young age under the command of the Grace family to be the guardians of the forest.

Originally, black panthers live solitary lives, but under the leadership of Valence or Ahin, they repeatedly gathered and dispersed as a group.

Among them, Ash was special.

Even though his physique was smaller than the males, he stood out as the leader of the group by utilizing his intelligent brain and excellent reflexes. Having received superior genes and regular training from birth, it was a natural result in a way.

Unlike such Ash, Bara was born in a gambling den.

It was a cruel place. Black panthers were pushed into a space surrounded by circular iron bars to fight, and the Suin race [beast-people] made a spectacle of it and played with money.

At the time, Bara, who was a cub, would wait quietly in a small iron cage attached to the side whenever his mother entered that twisted space.

And on the day he saw his mother’s neck torn off by the opposing black panther, the gambling den was raided by Ahin, who broke in from the entrance of the building. The operator, whom Bara hated the most, met his end at Ahin’s hands.

‘How long are you going to follow me?’

Ahin, who had turned the gambling den upside down, threw Bara, who was following him, into the Forest of Boundaries.

There was no way Bara could adapt.

He had only learned how to be fed in a confined space, so he was clumsy at hunting, and the black panthers of his age, whom he occasionally encountered, were busy ostracizing Bara.

As a natural course, he was nearing extinction when he ran into Ash.

He rushed in like an arrow, so he thought he was picking a fight like the other black panthers, but he had hunted a small animal that was hiding.

Impressed by his might, he followed him as if possessed, but even then, Ash didn’t give Bara even 10% of his attention.

However, he would slowly hunt as if telling him to watch and learn, or he would indifferently wait when Bara was tired and collapsed.

In that way, he took the place of a childhood friend, and now he has become a strong adult beast that no black panther can easily attack. Nevertheless, Bara was still outside of Ash’s gaze.

It didn’t matter. After all, Bara was the only black panther in the Forest of Boundaries who could become Ash’s mate. The other males who had ignored Bara since childhood were now busy avoiding him.

However, an unexpected problem arose. Ash, who had followed Ahin, was no longer coming to the Forest of Boundaries. All because he was looking after a mere baby rabbit.

Consumed by a terrible sense of rivalry, Bara tried to kill the rabbit several times, but he had no choice but to fail repeatedly within the mansion.

Then, a golden opportunity arose when the rabbit ventured into the Forest of Boundaries without Ahin. Even if it was in front of Ash, he decided to get rid of the rabbit, but Ash sincerely tried to kill Bara.

At that time, he was utterly defeated in the degree of affection, and later he was defeated by the rabbit even in terms of force.

But what was this? After acknowledging the eyesore rabbit and compromising appropriately, happy days continued instead.

Whenever Bara submitted to the rabbit, Ash subtly showed a pleased expression, and when Mayme and the rabbit were away, they could have time alone.

Now was just such a time. After Mayme, who had brought the clothes, entered the room, Bara subtly flirted with Ash. Ash’s attention was only focused on the room, but so what?

Click, then the door opened and a nuisance came out into the hallway. It was the man who used to be Ash and Bara’s owner, and now lives as the rabbit’s minion like them.

As Bara, who was sensitive to the food chain, Ahin was only regarded as Beebee’s minion.

While Beebee was putting on her clothes, Ahin, who came out, quietly buried his forehead in the door. As soon as the embarrassment subsided, what occupied his mind was the sight of Beebee dancing on two feet.

Wasn’t she at a level where she was playing with the rhythm, even shaking her ears? The splendid footwork that moved in the opposite direction to the outstretched forepaws was enough to award the Aymond’s Crown [a prestigious award for performance].

So the Lion saw that presumptuous sight first. Ahin hardened his lips coldly and buried his forehead in the door again.

Bara, who ignored him repeating a straight face and laughter, leaned his head against Ash.

I won’t become such a crazy guy. So please look at me.

Ash, who didn’t even pretend to notice this expression of affection, was just waiting firmly for the rabbit to come out.

However, Bara didn’t know that Ash had tilted his head slightly towards him. It was another happy night.

* * *

Since I had to return to the bedroom anyway, the clothes Mayme had prepared were a simple satin dress and a sky blue cloak.

After finishing dressing with help, I carefully stepped out into the hallway. Ahin, who was waiting leaning against the wall, had only his ears flushed red.

Noticing where my gaze was, he tilted his head to the side while fiddling with his ears.

“-It’s chilly today.”

The windows were all closed, and fires were lit everywhere, so the air wasn’t chilly enough to freeze my ears. He was trying to make up for it with his looks, but I couldn’t erase Beebee-nim’s suspicion.

As I kept scanning him suspiciously, Ahin blatantly ignored me and held out his hand. It was an act for an escort.

“…Can’t I just walk?”

I blankly stared and unconsciously rubbed my hands on the cloak. I had no experience being escorted, and I didn’t know exactly what etiquette to observe.

“Why? Because you’ve never been escorted before?”

Ahin’s gaze shifted and lingered on my hand. Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I quickly hid my hand behind my back.

“I haven’t done it either.”

“……?”

No way, then how did he handle his partners when attending banquets so far.

Looking up at him with distrustful eyes, I soon recalled Ahin dancing the waltz with the baby rabbit. There was no way such a person would comply with the implicit rules of banquets where he had to enter with a partner.

Moreover, considering that even the nobles who were initially horrified quickly adapted, there was no need to even think about how Ahin was perceived in noble society.

“Then what about Valence-nim…?”

“At banquets in the Black Panther territory, the leader always enters alone.”

Ahin’s claim that he had never escorted anyone was likely true. As I hesitated and awkwardly held out my hand, Ahin, who was staring at me intently, suddenly intertwined his fingers with mine.

“If you don’t like it, you can grab my forepaw and go.”

“I’m not a forepaw right now…!”

Before I could retort, he started walking towards the bedroom.

I ended up holding hands and going, and I bit my lip tightly. No matter how strange Ahin was, he was the person sitting in the seat of the next leader.

Therefore, there was no good in showing this kind of behavior to the employees, so it would be better to go separately without catering to me.

In the first place, whether I was a rabbit or a nymph in a gossip magazine, as long as I transformed into a human and was together, it would somehow affect Ahin’s reputation. I was already bothered by the fact that we were using the same bedroom.

Even while thinking that, selfishness sprouted that I didn’t want to let go of the big hand that covered my entire hand. Hesitating, I held his hand a little tighter.

Turning my head slightly to the back, Ash, who was following, wore a look that wasn’t quite a smile. I saw employees staring blankly and then quickly averting their gaze.

“I’m going to go to the Bear territory after my birthday passes.”

Ahin, who was walking side by side, said in a monotone voice.

“Bear territory?”

Did he have something to go out for? The pheromone outburst is also a problem, and this time it’s not the Rabbit territory either, so he’ll take me with him. Still, just in case, I opened my lips.

“Then I…,”

“Ahem, they say the rabbit disappeared!”

A small voice was buried in a thunderous shout. Surprised, I turned my head, and I saw the grandfather pushing two figures against the wall. It was Ivelin and Quinn.

“It seems that Ezran, that ignorant old man, used pheromones and was very surprised.”

“Lilian-nim, first calm down…,”

“How can a rabbit, who is already so timid, endure that? I have to find him right away before my grandson goes wild…,”

“Grandfather?”

“……?”

At my call, the grandfather, who was shouting so loudly that the mansion would collapse, turned to us.

His red eyes were wide open, so much so that the expression that they would pop out was not enough. The grandfather’s gaze, which went down as if scanning, was fixed on our intertwined hands.

Soon, he showed an unprecedented meaningful look and released Ivelin and Quinn, whom he had been pushing.

“…Now, let’s go find the rabbit.”

Ivelin, who straightened his disheveled clothes, cleared his throat and said.

“What are you talking about? The Rabbit-nim you’ve been looking for so much is right there…,”

“Don’t interfere, no, my hunch is that the rabbit is in the stable. A gorilla Suin who works there said so, that he is closest to the rabbit.”

The grandfather dragged the resisting Ivelin and Quinn and disappeared into the opposite hallway.

What is the meaning of that suspicious look? I know that my grandfather knows the correlation between healing pheromones and pheromone outbursts, but that’s like he wants our relationship to progress.

As I pondered his strange attitude, I recalled my grandfather singing about descendants, descendants every time he scolded Ahin, and I quickly waved my hand.

“No, it’s nothing.”

It was a new feeling to face Ahin in a state where our eye levels were similar. The lamp light dyed his red eyes a mysterious color. My face heated up almost habitually, and I consciously averted my gaze.

“You’re wearing something like a cotton ball on your head.”

“It’s a nightcap!”

Where does this look like a cotton ball? Ahin had a talent for making the heat on my face change to a different meaning.

As I was trembling with anger, something shimmering wrapped around one of my wrists. It was Perenium.

“A gift.”

I, who had a mansion wrapped around my wrist, fiddled with the pocket watch.

A gift. From a few days ago, the gifts sent by the nobles to Ahin’s office were piling up like mountains, changing every day.

“…Ahin, it’s almost your birthday.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ve been thinking about it all along, but I don’t know what to give you.”

As someone who is entrusting myself to the Grace family without anything, it was ambiguous to recklessly try to do something. Moreover, I don’t have the skill to transfer my own pheromones to Perenium like Ahin.

Even just until today, I was in the form of a rabbit. I thought about it while practicing with wooden dolls and pheromones, but nothing really came to mind.

“-I think I’ve already received a gift.”

“What?”

Ahin, who didn’t say anything more, suddenly turned his head away. He received a gift even though he didn’t remember giving it. As I blankly stared at his profile as if he was holding something back, I narrowed my eyes.

“You just remembered me dancing.”

No answer came to the stern question.

“You’re holding back your laughter right now.”

“There’s no way.”

He casually straightened his head and smiled brightly, deliberately showing his fangs. Knowing that it was a typical method used to avoid questioning, I couldn’t ask him about it. The fangs seen at night shone more clearly than those seen during the day.

“There are many things I want. First of all, I don’t want you to run away even if we fight.”

I blinked at Ahin’s sudden words.

“Not even to Ivelin’s pocket, or Mayme’s room.”

“…Are you saying to make that a gift?”

“Cheating is forbidden.”

“Who said anyone was cheating?”

“Even today, it’s twice with the Lion and the Gorilla, isn’t it? I want to grind them both up and drink them.”

For a moment, an impure energy surged over the eyes that were as calm as a lake. I was at a loss for words at the truly absurd insistence. Ahin slowly took off the nightcap, as if it was bothering him.

“Can I ask for more?”

If I let him continue to speak, it seemed like requests disguised as gifts would continue to pop out endlessly. Suddenly realizing this, I shook my head so much that my cheeks trembled.

“I think that’s enough.”

“…….”

“…It is.”

“There’s still a lot left.”

Ahin slowly removed the hair that was stuck to my cheek as I was shaking my head. The deepened smile and the wet hair swaying in the night breeze stole my gaze. Is it because he’s a nocturnal black panther that he becomes seductive at night?

“You have to stay in the Grace family even after the human transformation.”

“…….”

“Also, if something happens where I make a mistake first, forgive me unconditionally at least once.”

The next request felt different in weight than the previous ones. Unable to answer rashly, Ahin lightly lifted my body and made me get off the railing.

“Answer.”

“…Ahin, did you do something wrong to me?”

“Didn’t I?”

“Then why are you saying that?”

“Just in case. Beebee sometimes turns into a strangely cold rabbit.”

Flap, I felt the presence of Quinn, who had finished hunting strawberries and returned, behind me.

To appear at such an important moment. I glared at Quinn, who had strawberry marks all around his beak, and turned back to Ahin.

He, who had a smile that was no different from usual, led me to the bedroom, telling me not to play with dirty magpies. As I followed, looking at his broad back, a strange anxiety wrapped around my toes.

* * *