The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 61

Ash strolled through the garden, reluctantly persuaded by Mayme and Bara.

“This is boring.”

Soon, Ash flopped down, listlessly rolling around on the grass. A walk without Bibi held no appeal whatsoever.

‘From now on, that rabbit is your master.’

Initially, he had simply obeyed, enthralled by Ahin’s dominant pheromones [chemical signals used for communication].

The early days were filled with awkward greetings.

One day, Bibi struggled to climb the stairs, and when Ash tried to help by carrying him in his mouth, Bibi kicked him away with his hind legs, only deepening the awkwardness.

A haughty rabbit. Ash seemed to resent the furry lump that had coldly rejected his offer of help.

As their emotional rift deepened, one day,

Ash, on a walk with Bibi, faced a significant challenge. Knights, fresh from training, were connecting hoses and playing with water!

For Ash, who detested water, it was a hellish ordeal.

Then, Bibi spread his front paws wide, blocking Ash’s path. The knights, overwhelmed by his extraordinary presence, hurriedly cleaned up the water in an instant.

Bibi risked his life to protect me. A wave of emotion washed over Ash’s yellow eyes.

Yet, Bibi didn’t boast and turned away, his figure more dignified than any leader.

Once Ash developed a fondness for him, he began to notice the previously unseen consideration.

When Ash dirtied the bedsheets and worried about Mayme’s scolding, Bibi diligently used his front and hind paws to make it seem like he was the one who dirtied them, feigning innocence.

Even though the paw prints were clearly different, Mayme could only sigh, knowing full well.

Also, when Ash napped and the sunlight was too harsh, Bibi would groggily get up and cover Ash’s face with a handkerchief. Ash enjoyed that tenderness so much that he would deliberately nap in sunnier spots.

Bibi spent most of his time in the study, rummaging through square objects. It was a dull activity, with only the sound of rustling pages. Still, if Ash sat quietly and watched, Bibi would often pat his rear as if he were impressed, which made him happy.

Without any particular reason, his affection only grew.

Having grown up receiving only rigorous training since birth, he enjoyed having his childish whims indulged, and he appreciated the care he received when he had a stomachache. At some point, Ahin, who had seemed so great, felt like nothing more than a nuisance.

Why should I have to share Bibi’s attention with such riffraff? That handsome guy is always plotting to devour Bibi.

It was a constant jealousy, but Bibi looked so happy scratching the ground shyly with his paws whenever that riffraff appeared that Ash had no choice but to concede.

And despite that concession, the riffraff ended up hurting Bibi. If I had been there, that wouldn’t have happened.

Once again depressed, Ash aimlessly tapped the grass with his tail.

I hope Bibi gets better soon. If I catch prey and give it to him as a gift, wouldn’t he gulp it down and get healthy?

As Ash pondered going hunting, he noticed the shadow of a bird on the ground. The owner of the shadow was the fundamentally twisted Queen.

Ash, who had been languidly yawning, suddenly perked up again.

The basket hanging from Queen’s legs as she crossed the sky strangely bothered him.

‘Ash, go away.’

Surely, the place where Bibi first appeared was also when Ahin opened a basket.

Ash, his eyes fixed on the sky, began to sprint.

“Ash!”

Startled by his sudden action, Mayme and Bara followed behind.

Mayme, if they open that basket, Bibi might be in there. He must be all better now and going to play with the hawk without us!

Excited, Ash ran towards the main gate.

“Ash, you can’t go any further.”

However, he was soon blocked by the security knights.

I have to follow Bibi, so let me through.

Growing anxious, Ash shifted his feet back and forth, but the security knights stood firmly in his way. If he recklessly left the mansion and entered the city, it would cause a commotion.

“Ash, be quiet.”

Even Mayme, not understanding the situation, tried to restrain the rampaging Ash. Meanwhile, Queen was moving further away at a speed difficult to follow with the eye.

‘Bibi!’

Kuh-heong— His frustration at not being able to follow was expressed as a roar.

Ultimately, having lost sight of Queen, Ash had no choice but to wait for Bibi to return, guarding the front gate.

He’ll play with me again when he comes back. Hurry back, Bibi.

One day, two days, five days. Night fell and dawn broke repeatedly. And even after ten days, Bibi did not return.

* * *

The river’s surface sparkled in the sunlight. Queen, flying over it, flapped his wings until he was out of breath.

He didn’t even know why he was rushing so much.

Surely, he hadn’t liked the rabbit since Ahin first entrusted him with surveillance. Seeing him rolling around like a speck of dust made him inexplicably irritated.

‘I believe that a bird beastkin [a person with the ability to transform into an animal] whose creed is freedom would not deprive a rabbit of its freedom.’

Valence instantly resolved that inexplicable irritation. He didn’t like the sight of a rabbit who couldn’t do anything on his own, whose freedom was restricted.

Was that why taking the rabbit to the underground prison was almost an impulse?

It was a damp, unsettling night, and as a reward for the strawberries. He seemed to feel pity for the rabbit, who looked up at the night sky without knowing anything.

The truth about the rabbit’s body that he learned then was more cruel than he had imagined.

Did I take him for nothing? He regretted it inappropriately at the time, but it was already water under the bridge, salt spilled on the ground [an idiom meaning the situation cannot be undone].

But the rabbit was not as weak as Queen had expected. He overcame even the most hopeless despair, and

‘Tell me what’s going on outside and what you’re trying to hide from me.’

He didn’t seem to intend to use Ahin, a comfortable and useful card, and

‘Queen, there has to be something in return for a deal.’

The determination to directly confront and resolve what he recognized as a problem led him to give a rather generous evaluation.

‘This time too, the rabbit will take care of it himself.’

Therefore, Queen had no intention of telling Ahin every little detail about the rabbit’s location, even if Valence didn’t mention it. He knew that Grace was like hell to the rabbit right now.

‘Return to the mansion with the squirrel within two days. That physician needs to be in and out of my bedroom to hide the rabbit’s absence.’

‘For now, I’ll try to hide it as long as I can, and later, I’ll consider the rabbit’s whereabouts separately, depending on Ahin’s actions. Even though he’s my son, I can’t know where his thoughts will lead.’

Moreover, rather than worrying about the rabbit, the bigger problem was when Ahin, lying in the mansion, realized the rabbit’s absence.

Queen, who was moving the rabbit purely on his own volition, was lost in thought.

I’m foolish too, what part of that damn rabbit is pitiful? If he was caught colluding, a lifetime ban on strawberries might be imposed.

Tap, tap, the vibration from the basket snapped him out of his reverie. It was a signal from the squirrel.

After quickly crossing the river and confirming that there were no wild animals, Queen placed the basket on the ground. As soon as he lifted the lid, the squirrel standing next to the baby rabbit came into his view.

‘It’s a disaster…!’

The squirrel, unable to hide his panic, used a medical tool longer than his body to write letters in the air. Since a little while ago, an inexplicable high fever had been burning Bibi’s body.

* * *

Currently during the academy’s vacation, Professor Jinan Na was conducting research on the swine flu epidemic in her temporary residence.

However, today she couldn’t concentrate on her research, and she lingered by the window until it was dark.

Russell, who had been blankly watching her strange behavior, followed suit, pacing around the window with his hands behind his back. He had come along because this research didn’t involve any danger like Endelus.

Russell, who had been pacing around like someone deep in thought, suddenly grabbed the window frame and stood on tiptoe.

‘Young Master?’

He could feel Bibi’s clear energy from the sky.

“Professor Jinan Na.”

“Russell, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Mother…”

“A bad bird is coming.”

“Now you won’t even allow this mother to finish her sentence… What? A bad bird?”

Thud, startled, she bumped her shin on the table and hopped around while approaching the window. It might be Valence’s reply that she had been waiting for.

Swoosh-

The hawk that crossed the sky instantly entered the residence where they were.

Queen, placing the basket on the table, hurriedly used his beak to lift the basket lid.

The squirrel, who immediately popped out, informed Professor Jinan Na of the urgency. Since about an hour ago, Bibi had been suffering from an inexplicable fever, not due to his wounds. As a mere civilian doctor, he had limitations in identifying the disease.

“What is all this…!”

Professor Jinan Na, who had become increasingly urgent, carefully took Bibi out and began the examination.

‘Is it because of the neck wound?’

The more she examined, the more subtly her brow furrowed.

‘No, something’s a little strange. But Bibi-nim is….’

Even after finishing the examination, Professor Jinan Na was still unsure and repeatedly reconfirmed. Only the sound of medical tools clattering filled the silence.

“It seems…,”

Finally, she slowly put down the medical tools and trailed off.

“There’s no other way to explain it other than beastkin fever.”

The unique black eyes of the clan, filled with conviction, shone brightly.

* * *

“Goodness! What are we going to do if you suddenly turn back into a human like this.”

“I, I didn’t have time to excuse myself….”

“Russell, quickly cover your eyes.”

Alarmed voices awakened his dazed mind.

‘Professor Jinan Na…?’

In his hazy vision, he saw the squirrel physician wearing a tablecloth on his burly naked body, and Professor Jinan Na and Russell covering each other’s eyes.

Why were the two people he had parted ways with in the rabbit territory at Grace? The gaze that followed rested on the man leaning against the door.

‘Queen?’

It was the second time he had seen Queen’s human form. He loosely tied back his water-colored hair as his eyes met his, and he approached him.

Don’t come. He attempted a timid resistance, but his limp body showed no signs of movement.

“Looks like he’s awake?”

“Yes? Where?”

Queen and Professor Jinan Na’s faces, which had become quite close, grew larger as if they were expanding. His body was carefully lifted, and his vision shook slightly.

“Hmm-. He’s only weakly conscious, and he can’t support his body or think properly due to the fever. He’ll soon be delirious with fever and fall asleep. Beastkin fever lasts until the humanization, so cases like this will be repeated several times.”

‘Beastkin fever?’

If it was beastkin fever, wasn’t it a fever that one experienced right before humanization? He wondered if it was a hallucination, but the two people’s voices continued to pierce his ears.

Beastkin fever. Humanization.

As he repeated the two words in his hazy consciousness, he belatedly felt a dual sensation of his whole body feeling hot and shivering at the same time.

‘Is this beastkin fever?’

Why so suddenly? Is it because of the faint heat rash scar on his neck?

All sorts of questions arose, but now that he couldn’t think objectively, only anxiety and fear grew.

With difficulty, he shifted his gaze and looked around the unfamiliar space. The walls made of stacked round wood, no matter how he looked at it….

‘It’s not Grace.’

Because he was delirious with fever, he felt a surge of sadness even at this.

‘Where is this?’

Why was he lying in an unfamiliar place he didn’t even know, experiencing the beastkin fever he had so longed for?

Scary…. As he thought of the faces he missed in his lonely heart, the fear that had not yet been erased enveloped his whole body when he thought of the canines.

“Are you in pain?”

A pair of black eyes suddenly appeared, shaking right in front of his nose. It was Russell.

“Are you scared?”

Russell’s expression, which had been expressionless, crumpled like a piece of paper, and soon he burst into tears.

Perhaps he empathized with his emotions as he was a pheromone that read energy. He reached out his front paw, but it fell limply without much strength.

‘I want to go back.’

To Grace Mansion, before he felt such a terrible fear of the beast.

Instead of comforting him, his face crumpled along with him, and he burst into tears that he had been holding back.

Watching Russell cry heartily, he just wanted to cry today.

* * *

Grace

It was another morning, three days after Bibi and Ahin had collapsed together.

“…Bibi is.”

The first question that came from Ahin, who had opened his eyes, was about Bibi. Ivelyn conveyed the news received from Valence and the squirrel beastkin that the rabbit’s condition was gradually stabilizing. He only regretted not being able to check on him in the bedroom himself due to the circumstances.

“It’s a relief that he’s okay.”

Ahin nodded and, ignoring those around him who tried to stop him, went about his daily routine as usual. With Yuan attending to him, he put on a frock coat with essential pockets and wore a sword inside his waist.

“Ahin, you shouldn’t overdo it yet…”

“I said I’m fine.”

He wasn’t fully recovered, but his recovery rate was fast enough to make his doctor stick out his tongue in amazement.

Moreover, it had been a week since the last pheromone outburst. The dominant pheromone was calm, showing no signs of an outburst.

Ahin clenched and unclenched his fist. Since he started handling it, he strongly felt that his pheromone was completely his own for the first time. This was also a miracle entirely brought about by Bibi.

* * *

Usually, a beastkin undergoes humanization after suffering from a fever for a few hours. However, as Bibi was a special case, the beastkin fever period was prolonged.

‘Russell also suffered from beastkin fever for almost a day…’

Bibi might take even longer. Professor Jinan, holding a teacup, looked down at the baby rabbit panting and Russell, who had turned into a capybara.

Whenever Bibi curled up, the capybara would slowly move and stick close. It seemed Russell had realized that the baby rabbit was the Yongsa [a term of respect or endearment, possibly meaning ‘brave one’ or ‘young master’] through his energy.

‘I hope the fever doesn’t last too long.’

Professor Jinan’s worried sigh scattered in the air.

* * *

Before he knew it, it was past noon.

Ahin was spending his daily life as usual, considering he had woken up after several days. Attending meetings and handling important matters among the pending documents.

The fact that the Lion Clan’s alliance representative had been replaced with someone other than Rune was quite pleasing.

‘Did he get dumped by Bibi?’ He secretly felt satisfied, guessing that something must have happened on his birthday. Ahin generously postponed his plan to re-request the assassination guild.

On the other hand, the recent issue of the Wolf Clan recklessly crossing the territory again was quite a headache.

‘Should I just push them out altogether?’ Ahin, who had been vaguely thinking, shook his head. Considering the continental regulations, conflict was the last resort.

“Ahin-nim… You shouldn’t overdo it like this after just waking up.”

Since the work would only pile up if he lay down, Ahin reluctantly submitted to a check-up every hour because the doctor kept following him around and nagging.

“You still need to be careful about internal injuries, but your dominant pheromone is stable even compared to ordinary beastkins. What a miraculous thing!”

Ahin, ignoring the doctor who seemed about to dance, clicked his tongue.

“I told you I’m fine.”

He stopped his hand for a moment as he unconsciously tried to touch his pocket. It was empty. His hand, which had changed direction in the empty space, massaged his stiff shoulder.

* * *

It was the time right before sunset.

Valence’s owl, which had suddenly rushed in through the window, collided with the wall.

“Oh my!”

Professor Jinan, startled, treated the fallen owl. It was just a simple lack of sleep caused by flying during the day.

Relieved, she picked up the urgent letter Valence had newly sent. This time, it was a rather long letter.

In summary, it said that a mansion had been bought in Belhelm, the neutral zone where Professor Jinan worked, in Russell’s name.

If Bibi showed signs of improvement, he would be moved there, and if his condition was reported for the time being, the mansion would remain Russell’s property.

In reality, it was a sweet offer for her, who belonged to the lower aristocracy with a modest economic scale, with only a wide network of contacts after losing her husband, who was the head of the family.

‘Even so…’

Why did he send Bibi here, whom he seemed to cherish so much? The Grace family should have plenty of more capable doctors.

Professor Jinan’s gaze stayed on the baby rabbit, who was still suffering from beastkin fever. Judging from the brutal fang marks, she could easily guess the general situation before and after.

Feeling both empathy and pity, she hurriedly approached Bibi.

‘W-what is this…?’

Bibi’s wounds were disappearing as if sand was being swept away by the waves.

* * *

As night deepened, the wound on Bibi’s neck completely disappeared.

Only the bloodstains stuck to the white fur proved that there was a wound in that place.

Healing pheromone. Professor Jinan could easily guess Bibi’s pheromone.

“Russell.”

She shook Russell, who was sleeping soundly in human form.

“Wake up, I have something to ask you.”

“Russell is unavailable…”

‘Professor Jinan is unavailable.’ It was an excuse she always shouted to visitors when she was busy with research and didn’t want to be bothered.

Since he was repeating her words like a parrot because it hadn’t been long since he had undergone humanization, Professor Jinan, who was reminded of the need to be careful with her words, shook Russell again.

“Russell, I have something important to ask you, so please wake up for a moment.”

“These guys, bothering me even though I’m unavailable…”

“…You shouldn’t repeat those words.”

“Ugh.”

Russell, who blinked his eyes and got up, ran somewhere.

Russell, lying flat on his stomach, frowned and observed Bibi. He was in a more stable condition than before, when he was breathing irregularly.

Professor Jinan, who was sitting next to him, asked slowly.

“Russell, did anything unusual happen when you were experiencing beastkin fever?”

“Unusual?”

“For example, your pheromones acting strangely. …You don’t remember well, do you?”

Russell, who heard the question, pondered, touching his chubby cheeks.

“It became easier to use pheromones.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yeah, this much. It was very difficult before. Then suddenly I became human.”

Professor Jinan, who had harvested unexpected information, stroked her chin.

‘Does the body adapt to pheromones while going through beastkin fever?’

Originally, beastkins develop pheromones only after undergoing humanization.

However, in cases where humanization is extremely delayed like Russell or Bibi, pheromones develop first. Only then did Professor Jinan realize why Bibi’s humanization was much later than Russell’s.

It was inevitable, considering that he had the ability to heal his own wounds with a healing pheromone in the body of an herbivorous beastkin.

‘Hmm…’

Clearly, Bibi couldn’t heal the wound on his hand when she met him in her and the rabbit territory.

Therefore, the case of healing his own wound just now was no different from exerting more than the ability he had been using so far as his body adapted to pheromones.

That meant humanization was imminent.

* * *

After twilight, the view outside the window was dyed with dark darkness.

Ahin, who was sitting at his desk in his office, was diligently working as if it was hard to believe that he was the person who had been lying down until morning. Moreover, the speed at which he processed documents was twice as fast as usual.

The three aides who faced a diligent and sincere superior were just trembling.

“It’s okay, go ahead.”

Ahin waved his hand, annoyed by the way they were shaking like puppies needing to pee. It meant to leave work.

With a flash, they packed their briefcases like lightning, omitting even the customary words. Ahin, who took his eyes off them as they left in formation, focused on the pile of papers.

Time passed slowly.

When he glanced at the training ground, the rabbit general wielding a black panther and kicking was drawn like an illusion.

Was he tired? Ahin, who rubbed his bloodshot eyes, thought he should get up soon.

Meanwhile, Ivelyn, who was coming to the office,

“Ivelyn-nim!”

“P-please, we…”

“Please save us!”

Was caught by the three aides who were leaving work and had to listen to their complaints. The fuss that Ahin-nim was too normal and they were scared to death lasted for nearly thirty minutes.

Ivelyn, who was very concerned, wore rabbit ears and hid in front of the office to fulfill the role of a capable aide.

The passing employees were horrified, exclaiming that it was outrageous, and then blushed. Once they got used to it, it was quite cute.

“Why do you have trash on your head?”

Ahin, for his part, turned his feet towards the bedroom after casting a gaze as if looking at something dirty.

Still, seeing him smile while walking down the hallway meant that Ivelyn’s efforts to give him a smile were not entirely unsuccessful.

Click, he returned to the bedroom and let out a thin sigh.

A quiet silence lingered.

He deliberately made exaggerated noises, taking off his frock coat and loosening his cravat, but he didn’t feel any lecherous gazes.

When he went out to the terrace, Queen, who was standing on the railing as always, stared at Ahin intently. It was surveillance to immediately inform Valence when Ahin noticed the rabbit’s absence.

Ahin, mistaking that gaze for concern, murmured lowly.

“It’s okay. Bibi too, and me too.”

The burly squirrel he met on the way had confidently said that Bibi just needed to rest well. Ahin, who repeated it, smiled clearly.

“-It’s okay.”

He closed the terrace door and drew the curtains.

Ahin, leaving Queen behind, meaninglessly looked under the desk, the sofa floor, and under the bed. Of course, there was no one there.

Thud, he lay down on the bed as if throwing himself and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Everything was fine. It would be fine.

The positive signs that the pheromone outbursts seemed to be completely gone, and Bibi, who was getting better.

The wounds they inflicted on each other on their birthdays would heal over time, and the scars would fade.

He was also confident that he would crawl under Bibi’s feet, flatter her, and cater to her until then.

‘So it’s okay,’

The incessant thoughts stopped abruptly. Tick, tock, only the sound of the clock ticking filled the bedroom.

“Ahin-nim?”

The eyes of the guard knights widened due to Ahin, who suddenly burst out of the door. Ahin, leaving them behind, ran down the long corridor.

Why was he so anxious?

Ahin, who had arrived in front of Valence’s bedroom where Bibi was staying, gasped for breath intermittently.

The firmly closed door was locked so that even those outside could not enter without permission.

“I am sorry, but I have been ordered not to let even Ahin-nim in.”

The knights in black uniforms guarding the door watched Ahin with wary eyes.

As shadows who only followed Valence’s orders, they were skilled enough that even Ahin would have a hard time defeating them in one move.

“I’m not going in.”

To be exact, he couldn’t go in. It wouldn’t do if Bibi retreated again to avoid him and her wound burst.

Nevertheless, the knights’ sinister eyes showed no sign of leaving Ahin.

“Interesting.”

The rabbit he picked up was now being guarded by the head’s direct knights.

It seemed that the cunning Ivelyn would soon switch to Bibi’s line. It was a special case that even Ahin, the next head, had not yet received.

Ahin took his hand to his waist as if to draw his sword.

At the same time, the knights, who had drawn their swords at an outstanding speed, staggered for a moment and their posture collapsed. This was because Ahin’s waist was empty, let alone a sword.

“Don’t be surprised, I said I’m not going to go in.”

“…….”

“If you make that expression, I want to tease you more.”

Ahin, who smiled languidly, weakly buried his forehead on the door.

Long eyelashes cast a shadow under his eyes.

When he closed his eyes, he was reminded of Bibi writhing in pain, and when he opened his eyes, he pictured Bibi running away with a terrified face without even knowing that her wound had burst.

Bibi, actually, I don’t think I’m okay at all.

It was as if all the words that he had been saying all day that he was okay were meaningless. And even more than that, Bibi wouldn’t be okay either.

Ahin, who leaned against the door and sat down as if sliding down, closed his eyes. He couldn’t even dare to wish that Bibi would overcome it. It was a sleepless night.

* * *