The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 56

The Symbiotic Relationship Between a Rabbit and a Black Leopard 3 (56/75)

Rune’s direct aide, Restin, was in a state of utter distress. It had been nearly two hours since Rune of the Manients family had disappeared.

With the banquet about to begin, the tailcoat he had brought remained untouched in the bedroom.

His braided blonde hair was a mess, shaking as he ran around frantically.

Furthermore, Rune’s incomprehensible muttering from the previous night—something about liking it more than he thought and that there was no other way—only amplified Restin’s anxiety.

‘Rune, please….’

Was Rune really trying to steal the rabbit, as his sister had suggested? To make matters worse, even Rune’s maternal grandfather, Ezran, was badgering Restin, insisting that the rabbit was suspicious.

Before he knew it, Restin was searching through the groves where Rune might be resting, and behind the banquet hall where employees bustled about. He narrowed his golden eyes.

Ivelin, dressed in a mousy gray tailcoat, came into view.

‘Ludd Ivelin.’

The skin reflected in the light spilling from the banquet hall shimmered smoothly. Thanks to his naturally handsome appearance, naive employees from other territories blushed when they saw him.

Restin wished that everyone could see the petty and rotten personality hidden behind Ivelin’s serious facade.

Considering that the Grace family employees didn’t even give him a second glance, it should be clear how dangerous he was.

He shuddered, adjusted his monocle, and sharpened his senses. Ivelin was rummaging through his arms, making secretive movements. Deeming it highly suspicious, Restin kept his distance and carefully followed him.

Soon, Ivelin arrived at the three-tiered cake that was to be brought into the banquet hall.

Without a change in expression, he dismissed the surrounding employees.

‘Could it be….’

Hiding among the passing employees, Restin swallowed hard.

Was he trying to do something wicked to the banquet cake that the nobles might taste? Ivelin’s ominously flickering red eyes lent credence to Restin’s suspicion.

Soon, Ivelin took something out of his arms and polished it meticulously with a handkerchief. Then, standing on tiptoe, he carefully placed the object on the very top tier.

‘What is it…?’

Restin, who had been watching suspiciously, gasped and covered his mouth. It was a figurine of a baby rabbit.

“Sir Ivelin, what on earth are you doing?”

Restin, enraged at himself for even momentarily thinking there might be a reasonable explanation for Ivelin’s actions, strode forward.

“It’s been a while, Sir Restin.”

“I don’t think this is a situation where we can exchange casual greetings. What is this you’re doing to the cake that’s going into the banquet hall?”

“I put a rabbit on it.”

Restin, even more infuriated by the nonchalant answer, reached for the figurine.

“The dignity of the Grace family will become a joke.”

“There’s no need to worry; it won’t happen. The Valence leader will also be pleased.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

“It’s because you’re like this that the stigma of being a coward follows Sir Restin.”

“What, what did you say?!”

Ivelin, grabbing his wrist with a strong grip, approached him closely. Restin, instinctively shrinking back, froze, unable to retract his outstretched arm.

“As a fellow aide, let me give you a piece of advice,” Ivelin said in a quiet voice, facing him as he opened and closed his mouth.

“The Grace family is already under the command of the Rabbit-nim, so you must ride on his favor.”

“Wh-What nonsense…!”

“As of yesterday, a maid named Mayme, who serves the Rabbit-nim, has been fast-tracked to a position just below the head maid, under the special instructions of the Valence leader.”

Restin, unable to refute this time, widened his eyes. The position just below the head maid meant she could wield the same power as the head of the family’s personal maid.

“Moreover, Ahin-nim is already in a state where he doesn’t mind feigning death from the Rabbit-nim’s kicks.”

“…….”

“Lillian-nim is still showing resistance, but in my judgment, the day she is captured by the Rabbit-nim’s profound forepaw movements is not far off.”

It was truly the era of the forepaw.

Ivelin, confirming Restin’s trembling reaction, whispered like a devil.

“I believe Sir Restin could be promoted to a first-class aide if you achieve results in this alliance matter.”

Should he bring the baby rabbit to the alliance meeting then? Prepare high-quality hay, a chair the size for a rabbit to sit on, and documents….

Restin, who had been calculating meticulously, snapped out of it and shook off Ivelin’s hand. This wasn’t about selling rabbits. He wouldn’t fall for his sweet talk anymore.

“Please, stop saying such ridiculous things every time we meet!”

“It’s a pity you’re turning down the opportunity. By the way, what are you doing behind the banquet hall, Sir Restin?”

“……!”

Only then did Restin recall his original purpose and looked around.

“Instead of this, have you perhaps seen Rune-nim?”

“He’s over there.”

“Yes? There’s no way… ?”

Turning his head hastily, he saw a huge lion walking towards him.

Restin, his pupils dilating in shock, mechanically straightened his head. He desperately wanted to pretend he didn’t see it.

“I-In fact, I haven’t seen Rune-nim since earlier….”

“Rune-nim, have you been well?”

At Ivelin’s shout, the lion responded with a bark and raised its forepaw.

Restin, watching Ivelin’s nonchalant back as he walked away, was worried about how to talk that crazy lion out of it.

He could guess why Rune had returned to his true form, but he absolutely didn’t want to admit it.

Contrary to his gloomy feelings, a beautiful melody began to resonate in the banquet hall.

* * *

“It’s overwork. He simply returned to his true form as a defensive mechanism, so he will naturally return to human form over time.”

The physician, having finished examining the fox, bowed and left the room.

He wouldn’t return to his true form unless he was on the verge of collapsing from overwork. I licked my lips, thinking it was a wonder that he had even made it to the banquet in that condition.

The fox, who had woken up in the meantime, was staring at me with an almost human expression.

It looked like a Tibetan fox I had only seen in books.

I, stuck to the wall, couldn’t bring myself to respond and glanced sideways. Foxes enjoy eating rodents, so they were practically natural enemies to rabbits.

I could hear Ash scratching at the door, making noise, as he had to wait outside the medical room for hygiene reasons.

Wouldn’t it be best to avoid the situation? I carefully opened my mouth, exchanging glances until my cheek was plastered against the wall.

“I’m glad you’re okay. Then we’ll be going now….”

I stopped, stiffening as I subtly tugged on Mayme’s sleeve. It was because the fox, sitting up gracefully, was wiggling its forepaw.

Why are you calling me… I wiped away the tears I was already shedding with my finger, feeling like I wanted to cry.

The fox tapped the medical bed with an elegant gesture.

‘Is it telling me to sit down?’

Judging by the fact that Mayme was only on edge without saying anything, it was clear that she was a high-ranking noble even in the fox territory.

I hesitated, cautiously observing, and then gently sat on the bed.

That’s when it happened. The fox’s body began to emit a brilliant light and take on a human form.

‘Oh my…!’

No! Horrified, I pulled the blanket from the medical room and threw it over the fox.

The light gradually faded, and at the same time, crimson hair fluttered and scattered. I blinked, finding myself in a position where I had inadvertently pounced on the fox.

“-There’s no need to cover me up so desperately.”

The fox, barely covering her nakedness with the thin blanket, curved her eyes seductively.

As expected, the fox was the fox beast who had scattered sexual pheromones at Ahin, which had become the trigger for me to recognize that he was turning into a human.

“Thank you for your help. I have so many husbands that I often get tired and experience this sometimes.”

“……?”

I didn’t understand the meaning of her words at once and furrowed my brow in confusion.

‘…Ah.’

Soon, as I understood the meaning and blushed, she took a slender arm out from under the blanket. Her beautiful hand gently stroked my flowing white hair.

“How lovely. Could you be that baby rabbit of Grace from before? That’s strange, a fully grown adult can’t be a baby rabbit.”

A soft, soothing voice that seemed to melt my ears echoed.

“I quite like your frightened face. I want to see you cry even more.”

Before I could think of an excuse for my existence, extraordinary words popped out of the fox’s mouth.

‘Is this beast crazy too?’

Are beasts specialized in seduction regardless of gender? Even though she clearly recognized that I was the same sex, she was steadily bewitching me.

“I’ve never seen a herbivore beast so close before, should I bring one into the mansion?”

As my mind became hazy, I soon realized that she was subtly releasing sexual pheromones.

Fortunately, it was at a level that I could shake off by widening my eyes.

‘Still dangerous.’

Could it be that the fox clan doesn’t discriminate against gender? Still supporting my arm next to the fox’s face, I rolled my eyes.

Just as I was about to carefully raise my body, her hand passed through my white hair and pulled down the cloak ribbon.

“How pitiful, did you hurt your neck or something?”

“Ah, this is….”

I blushed, remembering the bandage that would be on my exposed neck.

As I was thinking of a stammering excuse, the cloak slipped down, and at the same time, a cold hand caressed my nape. A chilling shiver ran down my spine, and just as I was about to shake it off,

“I want to ask you something,” the fox whispered in a voice that only I could hear.

“You have a fever blister scar [a mark indicating a past transformation], but how are you in the form of a baby rabbit and not a fully grown beast?”

The fever blister scar was clearly a phenomenon that only appeared in those who had undergone humanization [the process of a beast transforming into a human]. My hazy mind became clear, to the point where it felt like I had been hit in the head with a hammer.

I hastily groped behind my neck and felt a strange curve that I had never felt before.

“Yeah, why is that?”

The fox’s sweet voice brought a sense of bewilderment, as if walking through a misty fog.

I barely got up from on top of her and entered the bathroom attached to the medical room.

Bang, after closing the door, I faced the mirror and saw a woman with a pale complexion. I fumbled and swept my hair to one side, tilting my body to examine the back of my neck.

‘It’s real.’

Although not clear, I could see faint petals.

Last time, when I dug into Ahin’s neck with my forepaw, his fever blister scar had a clear groove unlike this one.

I bit my lip, running my trembling hand over the area.

I still didn’t have any memory of going through the beastly fever, so could it be a sign that I was getting closer to humanization? Since my body was always defying common sense, it wouldn’t be strange even if this phenomenon appeared.

‘Why don’t I turn into a human?’

Humanization.

When I thought that what I had been hoping for my whole life might come true, I felt more bewildered than surprised.

‘A beast who can’t humanize is pitiful.’

Thump,

‘Then isn’t it no different from a beast with reason? How disgusting.’

Thump.

My heart pounded fiercely, as if it were running a race. The days I had lived as a rabbit flashed before my eyes like a panorama.

“Rabbit-nim.”

From outside, I heard Mayme’s worried call. I couldn’t take my eyes off the mirror, and only then did I return to reality from my distant memories.

I hurriedly arranged my hair to cover the back of my neck and cautiously opened the door.

“Let’s go, Mayme.”

There was no point in lingering with the fox. I tried to appear calm, but the end of my voice trembled slightly.

The fox, who had been sitting on the bed in the meantime, barely covered her nakedness with the blanket and raised the corners of her mouth.

“Are you going to leave me like this?”

“Excuse me?”

“Me, who might collapse again?”

That beastly predator was so seductive. A single word, a single gesture, was enough to hold countless rabbits captive.

“I…!”

I frowned menacingly, determined to give her a stern warning to tone down her overwhelming sexual pheromones.

“Please, take good care of yourself….”

Contrary to my resolve, my voice trailed off weakly. The fox’s smile deepened.

“What a shame, I don’t want to let you go. I find you more appealing than Grace, you even smell delicious.”

Beasts are full of greed, they say. Even with five consorts, her desires were endless.

I cautiously peeked out from behind Mayme, revealing only half of my body as I looked at the fox. Her crimson eyes, unique to her clan, were so noble that I felt drawn into them, and her wavy hair captivated my gaze.

Belatedly, I could guess the identity of the nagging emotion that had been bothering me.

I hated that the beautiful fox kept coveting Ahin. I felt uneasy, inexplicably resentful, and resentful of Ahin’s unnecessarily handsome face.

Without realizing it, I tightly gripped Mayme’s sleeve and growled.

“…He’s mine.”

“Sir Grace?”

As soon as I said it, I felt endlessly ashamed and buried my forehead in Mayme’s back.

“How cute.”

The fox burst into laughter.

I was about to assert myself more forcefully at her relaxed reaction when I turned around abruptly. Grrr- Ash and Bara were causing a commotion outside the infirmary.

They wouldn’t be acting like this for no reason. Just as I was about to grab the doorknob, a two-legged lion opened the door and entered.

‘A lion…?’

What business did the king of the jungle have in the infirmary?

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if it was a dream, but the lion holding the doorknob was still staring at me intently.

A fear that couldn’t be compared to when I witnessed the fox collapsing washed over me, and I pushed the lion away.

“Rabbit-nim!”

And so, an unexpected chase began. Mayme, the two black panthers, and a lion followed behind me as I ran with fire under my paws.

‘Don’t follow me!’

Please save me…! I had even forgotten that I could speak and sent signals with my eyes, but the employees, who were used to our mansion runs, just smiled and stepped aside.

‘Yuan, help…,’

…me. Yuan’s ‘fighting’ gesture as he passed by made all hope disappear.

* * *

Bibi found Rune’s approach as a man difficult and embarrassing.

So much so that she wouldn’t even make eye contact with him in the training grounds or the drawing room.

So Rune used a shallow trick, thinking she might be more comfortable with him as an animal, but Bibi was still afraid of beasts, despite having lived in the black panther territory.

As a result, Rune, who was suddenly engaged in a game of tag, looked ahead. The hem of Bibi’s white dress fluttered in the wind. Unlike when she waddled like a duck, she ran around the entire mansion like someone whose specialty was running.

Bibi, who knew that the lion was Rune, had tried to stop several times, but every time she saw his face, she would only mutter some incomprehensible words and run away, which had been repeated several times already.

Just as Rune was wondering if he should turn back into a human, Bibi slipped into the indoor greenhouse.

Mayme, who was standing at the entrance of the greenhouse, bowed deeply to Rune.

“I will bring you clothes, so please return to human form.”

She winked at the security guards guarding the greenhouse and quickly left.

‘It wasn’t my intention to tease her like those crazy black panthers,’ Rune thought, scratching his mane with his forepaw, feeling embarrassed.

Having no choice but to stand guard, he suddenly sensed a presence and turned to the side.

Beyond the greenhouse glass, Bibi was squatting down and staring intently at Rune. Her hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed from running so frantically.

Gaining courage, Bibi widened her purple eyes. She didn’t even blink, as if she were having a staring contest, and moved her lips.

‘Why are you following me?’

Rune, amused by her desperate efforts, let out a sighing laugh.

‘Just because.’

Because I can only see you at the Grace estate.

Taptap, he faced Bibi across the glass and touched the glass pane with his forepaw. He was so close, yet he couldn’t reach her.

He was envious and resentful of Ahin Grace.

‘I might be the first for everything,’ he thought. ‘The first to discover Bibi’s humanization, to go to the costume room with her, to see her in a dress, even to see her twirling and dancing.’

Even so, this glass seemed to represent the distance between Bibi and himself, and Rune felt a little tearful. He had given her more of his heart than he had realized.

* * *

The banquet night was in full swing. The assembled nobles repeatedly glanced sideways at a rather unusual sight.

Not only Valens and Ahin, who weren’t exactly on friendly terms, but also Lilian and the Manients family were gathered together. It was a strange combination they had never seen before.

Moreover, their eyes were fixed on one place. The nobles’ gazes followed and landed on the rabbit sculpture perched on the cake.

Meanwhile, Ahin, who was at the center of that unique group, was exhausted. He hadn’t been able to sleep a wink last night.

The most cunning rabbit on the continent put him through trials every moment.

Even if she were to do something, it should be after she was out of danger from a life-threatening seizure. Bibi, unaware of Ahin’s feelings, simply disposed of the pillow she had drawn as a boundary with a beastly face.

How much did he endure, suppressing the urge to bite her neck right away with laughter? Ahin, unable to focus on the banquet where he was the protagonist, rubbed his eyes.

“Ahin-nim, are you not pleased with the cake?”

Ivelyn, who was watching Ahin, who looked uncomfortable, asked. Only then did Ahin’s gaze rest on the rabbit sculpture on the top tier of the cake.

“Bibi doesn’t look that docile.”

She was a rabbit with a sharper gaze, a beast that would threaten you by sticking out her forepaws at any moment.

Ivelyn, who was inwardly depressed by the harsh evaluation, did not give up hope and turned to Valens. She also had a displeased look on her face.

“It’s too small to see properly. Don’t you think so, Father?”

“…Hmm.”

Lilian, who couldn’t bring herself to agree, made a humming sound.

Ezran, Rune’s maternal grandfather, scanned Ahin, Valens, and Lilian, who were dissatisfied with the cake. He couldn’t get angry because there were too many eyes watching, so he whispered to Restin.

“Has there been an epidemic in the Grace family lately? How can they all be so crazy?”

‘That’s what I want to say,’ Restin, who kept his mouth shut, nodded in agreement.

“Where did Rune go again? I haven’t seen him since earlier.”

“He even entered with you, so he must be resting in a secluded place.”

“Tsk, useless fellow.”

In fact, he couldn’t even find Rune, who had turned into a lion, let alone enter with him. Restin, who had told a blatant lie, rubbed his sweaty hands on his clothes. As a timid person, he had no choice but to act nonchalantly, considering Ezran, who would get angry.

“It’s a shame that the sculpture doesn’t properly capture the rabbit. Don’t you think so, Father?”

“…Hmm.”

In the meantime, the Grace family’s discussion continued.

“Ahin, it would have been better if the cake itself was shaped like a rabbit.”

“I didn’t order this.”

“Then the chef made it on his own?”

Ivelyn, realizing that public opinion was becoming increasingly unfavorable, glared sharply at Restin.

“Sir Restin, didn’t I tell you that the sculpture wouldn’t be enough?”

Restin, who was unintentionally made a scapegoat, flinched.

“Yes? No, yes? The sculpture is from Ivelyn…,”

“Don’t pass the buck. Wasn’t it Sir Restin who took out the sculpture from his pocket and showed it to me?”

Restin, who was about to take the blame, trembled at Ivelyn, who was standing behind Ahin. Soon, he felt the Grace family’s harsh gazes fixed on him and took a step back.

“N-not me….”

Restin, who kept waving his hands, was rescued by Ahin’s exclusive attendant, Yuan, who had arrived just in time.

“Excuse me.”

Yuan, who was in charge of reporting the rabbit’s whereabouts instead of Quinn, who had left to deliver a letter to the bear territory, whispered to Ivelyn.

“The Rabbit-nim accidentally discovered that Ayla of the Fox clan had collapsed about an hour ago. He was with her in the infirmary until just before. According to Mayme-nim, Ayla-nim seemed to like the Rabbit-nim.”

Ivelyn, who received the unexpected news, frowned slightly. The gazes of those who were with him were focused on his rare change in expression.

Ivelyn, who was the center of attention, summarized and conveyed the message.

“The Rabbit-nim is having an affair with a fox.”

“What? Again?”

The first person to get angry was Lilian.

Yuan, who witnessed the pocket watch in Ahin’s hand breaking in two, felt that this was not what he intended.

However, since Ivelyn was still listening to him, he whispered again to fulfill his role.

“Currently, he is running around the mansion with Rune-nim, who has turned into a lion. That is all.”

“Go back and keep an eye on them.”

“Understood….”

Yuan, who was watching the situation, fled the hall as if running away.

Ivelyn, who was watching Yuan disappear with his tail between his legs, turned around. The Grace family’s gazes, which had become as cold as ice, and Ezran and Restin’s gazes, which seemed to be asking what all this was about, were fixed on him.

Ivelyn, who coughed at the burning interest, hurriedly summarized.

“Currently, he is on the run.”

Ahin, who loosened the tie that was choking him, asked.

“With the fox?”

“No, the escape is with a lion.”

The pocket watch in Ahin’s hand completely died at that moment.

At the same time as Ahin’s pocket watch crumbled, Lilian’s favorite cane broke in two.

‘Did this old man rejuvenate?’ Ezran, whose eyes were wide open, looked back and forth between the cane and Lilian.

“What is this about escaping with a lion? Don’t tell me the lion is our Rune?”

“…Was polygamy possible in the Rabbit clan?”

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“Just answer me.”