The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 66

Rabbit and Black Leopard’s Symbiotic Relationship 13

Puck.

I punched the pillow, and the recoil startled me awake. Despite undergoing humanization [the process of adapting to human society and customs], my terrible sleeping habits remained.

Blinking groggily, I turned to look at the window.

Thick curtains made it impossible to tell the time. It felt like I had barely fallen asleep around dawn.

Focusing my hearing, I could faintly hear the sounds of the employees starting their day.

‘…Where did Ahin go?’

Absentmindedly reaching across the bed, I soon realized that I could hear water running in the bathroom.

A beast with great stamina. I glared at the bathroom and nestled into the soft bedding, soothing my aching body.

Recalling the heavy, unbearable pain and the low voice demanding I call his name, my ears flushed again. I was more sore than after pheromone training, wondering how much I had suffered and cried.

Barely falling asleep until dawn, it was more accurate to say I had fainted midway. I couldn’t even remember when I had fallen asleep.

‘That psycho…!’

Damn black leopard. Crazy black leopard. I muttered, biting my swollen lip.

No matter how sly I was, I couldn’t keep up with the endless stamina of a beast.

‘Cry more.’

No matter how much I cried, begging him to stop, it only stimulated Ahin.

‘…What is this!’

I couldn’t hide my shock as soon as I checked my body.

Wrapping myself tightly in the blanket, I swallowed the rising resentment.

Thanks to Ahin biting and tearing at my entire body, my skin was a mess of red marks. It was my fault for trying to bite his neck in response, which only made him pounce on me as if he would devour me.

Even my legs were covered in his marks. I was worried about how I would even wear my school uniform.

‘I should wear pants instead of a skirt… Ah, the Academy!’

Come to think of it, I was practically kidnapped by that vile Evelyn.

Belatedly realizing that this was the Grace estate, I jumped out of bed.

Attendance was one thing, but if Russell woke up and realized I was gone, he would surely faint again. If it reached Grandfather’s ears, it would be the last straw.

‘Hmm….’

We just reunited yesterday, but would Ahin really let me go back to the Academy so easily?

‘There’s no way.’

Deciding against it, I wrapped myself in the blanket and tiptoed around to get dressed.

I had been tormented since last night without a single thread on my body.

Click. Suppressing my presence as much as possible, I carefully turned the doorknob of the dressing room. As Bibi claimed, the interior was filled with clothes that looked like they were mine at first glance.

Pleased, I sinisterly raised the corners of my lips.

“-Trying to sneak away?”

“I’m considering it; I still have enough attendance days until the mid-term break.”

“So, you don’t need the prey you’ve already caught?”

“I have to do what I have to do, so I can’t help it.”

“You perverted, trash rabbit.”

“Even so, isn’t that too rude…,”

Good heavens. I was about to retort when I covered my mouth with both hands.

I could guess the owner of the huge shadow behind me without turning around.

A hand popped out from behind and grabbed the doorknob. Click, the door closed, and the dazzling dressing room disappeared from view.

Frozen in place with my mouth covered, the voice I had heard all night settled in my ear.

“Were you planning to disappear without a word?”

“It’s not that….”

Unable to find an excuse, I hung my head.

“I’m disappointed; I didn’t expect to be eaten by a rabbit and then abandoned.”

“……”

“Just this morning, you were scratching my back like you’d be by my side forever.”

“Don’t say things like that out loud,”

Goodness. I spun around and covered my mouth again.

I had expected Ahin to block my way, so it wasn’t a surprise. However, his appearance in only light pants was quite problematic.

His firm upper body, which I couldn’t even remember properly because he was tormenting me, filled my vision. Water dripping from his disheveled silver hair fell onto his chiseled torso.

Was I a hero who saved the continent in my past life? With blood rushing to my face, I calmly wiped under my nose with the blanket. Thankfully, there was no blood.

I cleared my throat repeatedly and said, slightly lowering my gaze.

“Ahin, please, put some clothes on….”

He must have come out of the bathroom like this on purpose.

“-Raise your hind legs if you want me to take it all off.”

I stealthily lifted my heels before snapping back to my senses and stomping my foot.

“Don’t make jokes like that anymore; you’ve undergone humanization too.”

“Can’t I even put you on a plate?”

“Of course not!”

“Then you’ll make up with the chef too; you weren’t on good terms.”

“……”

Humanization and improving my relationship with the chef were completely separate issues.

I pressed my lips together, avoiding the answer, and at the same time, my body floated into the air. Ahin, who had lifted me up in the blanket, went straight to the bed.

Having returned to the bed, I recalled the early hours of the morning and hid in the blanket.

What courage did I have to tear off Ahin’s shirt buttons? Immediately after, Ahin’s eyes changed, ignoring my request to turn off the lamp. The words that kept coming out of his pretty lips were a kind of frivolousness that was difficult to even describe.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

At the slow voice, I came back to reality and peeked my head out from the blanket.

Sitting on the bed, he was putting on a spare shirt and buttoning it up. It seemed he intended to bring breakfast himself.

In other words, it was a subtle way of showing that he wouldn’t let me leave the bedroom.

“…I’m going back to the Academy.”

“-Abandoning me?”

“I was going to return to the Grace estate during the mid-term break anyway… Let go!”

Once again, Ahin dragged me in the blanket and held me in his arms.

Caught off guard, I landed on his lap and covered my reddened ears with the blanket. There was no retreat, only a straight path, and my heart was barely holding on.

“You can do anything Bibi wants here too.”

Ahin folded his eyes into crescents and continued in a languid voice.

“If you need it, I can get you instructors better than the faculty, and any books you want.”

*So stay here,* Ahin didn’t actually say it, but it felt like the voice was ringing in my ears.

The black leopard’s lair was like a dream.

The library boasted a similar scale to the Academy’s library, and the wealth and power of the black leopard’s territory, which I learned about from the outside world, were beyond imagination.

Most of all, Ahin was here.

Suppressing the urge to become complacent, I struggled to avoid his gaze.

“…No, I still have to go back.”

*To stand by your side.*

Although I inherited the blood of a middle-class noble, my status was currently ambiguous compared to Ahin, who would become the highest-ranking person in a territory.

The reason Grandfather suggested I enter the Academy was with this in mind.

If I graduated at the top of my class from the difficult Bellhelm Academy, I would gain honor as well as the status of a lower-class noble.

Fortunately, the logic of power applied more to beast territories than herbivore territories.

While herbivore territories divided ranks based on strict rules and bloodlines, in beast territories, outstanding pheromones were a type of power and authority.

I already had healing pheromones, so I could just crush Ahin’s dominant pheromones. What I needed was a life and status as a human.

While thinking, I unconsciously grabbed Ahin’s collar and steeled my wavering heart.

“Wait a little longer.”

*Trust this Bibi.* I furrowed my brow and made a trustworthy expression.

Ahin, who had been staring at me silently, slowly opened his lips after a long time.

“Then I’ll go too.”

“…What?”

“To the Academy.”

*Is he crazy?* He should be handling state affairs, but instead, he’s going to wear a school uniform and wander around the Academy?

Slap, I slapped my crazy mouth and struggled to get out of his arms. However, my futile struggles ended there because of Ahin’s tight grip around my waist.

“Bibi, it’s already late today anyway. And Grandfather is at the mansion right now.”

“Grandfather is here?”

“-Have you gotten quite close? Your voice is getting brighter.”

It was Ahin’s unique subtle accusation. Noticing this, I blatantly changed the subject.

“Then, I should greet Valence first since he’s here.”

I didn’t need to avoid everyone anymore. My heart started to flutter at the thought of seeing the faces I had missed. Impatient, I asked urgently.

“Ahin, what about Ash?”

“Ash is… ah.”

Ahin’s hesitation made my heart drop. Anxiety bloomed, and I waited for his next words.

“There’s been a little problem.”

Meimei’s primary duty was handling the affairs behind the scenes for the Grace family.

A dagger was her means of survival, and stealth was one of her specialties.

Not showing emotions was essential for a shadow operating in the dark, though her taciturn [uncommunicative] personality was also a factor.

The reason Ahin entrusted Bibi to Meimei, who was no ordinary maid, was because she could easily subdue Bibi if she tried to escape.

Swish, thud, thud.

The thrown dagger accurately pierced both eyes of the wooden mannequin. After finishing her morning training, Meimei tucked her sharply cut red bob behind her ear.

It was a monotonous routine.

Since Bibi disappeared, she had been granted an indefinite leave. An ordinary employee would have rejoiced, but strangely, she felt listless.

She often thought of the kind little rabbit who helped her tidy up the things Ash messed up.

The rabbit always went back to the bedroom early, thinking Meimei needed to rest. And if he ever rolled around in the mud, he would cautiously offer a handkerchief, asking her to wipe him clean.

She also knew that when the little rabbit was almost killed by a wolf while she was away, the rabbit had begged Ahin to spare her life. It was an unusual occurrence in the life of a shadow, where one’s head could be chopped off for even a small mistake.

Realizing she was constantly thinking about the rabbit, Meimei awkwardly touched the back of her neck.

“What’s that?”

“It’s Queen.”

“No, above her…”

Clang, clang. As she put away the fallen dagger, she turned to look at one side of the training grounds, which was somehow noisy.

As the murmuring grew louder, bewilderment spread across her impassive face. The gardeners, who had been starting their morning, had abandoned their work and were looking up at the sky.

Naturally, Meimei looked up, and her red pupils widened greatly.

‘…Rabbit?’

The cotton ball poking its head out from the hawk’s back caught her eye.

Though its appearance seemed a bit different, there was only one rabbit in the world who could ride a hawk.

‘Meimei!’

“Rabbit-nim!” [Rabbit-sama, a term of respect]

Judging it to be a very dangerous act, she sternly shouted.

‘What does this mean?’

Bibi blinked, looking down at Meimei waving her arms wide open. Even if she was happy to see her, asking her to jump down from here was too enthusiastic of a welcome for Meimei.

‘It’s scary…’

Her body trembled, but she couldn’t ignore Meimei’s greeting, whom she had finally met. She had never seen her so disheveled before.

Thump. After a brief moment of contemplation, Bibi spread her legs and jumped down boldly. She had no doubt that Meimei would catch her safely.

On the other hand, Meimei was shocked by Bibi, who had jumped on her own accord, not by accident.

Before she could even blink, she stretched out her hands. The rabbit falling in a sprawling manner seemed to be moving in slow motion, like a panorama.

Thud. Bibi’s body, having completed its flight, landed on her somewhat rough hands.

‘Long time no see.’

Bibi, wearing a bright expression, grabbed Meimei’s thumb and shook it. However, Meimei, unable to laugh with her, calmed her fluttering heart and shouted.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Startled by the stern rebuke, Bibi folded her ears in half.

Meimei told me to jump…. Looking around with an aggrieved expression, Bibi realized that wasn’t what Meimei meant when she saw her worried face.

“How much I…!”

Meimei, who was about to shout again, faced the rabbit, who had grown to about the size of two fists.

He seemed to have undergone humanization and didn’t avoid her. He looked dignified enough to have guarded the front gate all winter.

Her tightly closed lips twitched slightly. Tears welled up, and Meimei hugged the rabbit-nim she had been waiting for and cried for a long time.

* * *

After comforting Meimei, I got back on Queen’s back to head to Ash again, promising to see her later.

The final destination of the flight was not Evelyn’s bedroom, where Ash usually stayed, but a splendid terrace with golden railings.

‘Queen, is this really the right place?’

When I glanced suspiciously at the hawk standing on the railing, I received a fierce reply telling me to shut up.

I immediately lowered my gaze and carefully stepped inside the terrace door, which had been opened.

‘Ash…?’

When I pushed aside the curtains with my forepaw, a cozy yet spacious room was revealed. I took one step at a time, looking around, but Ash was nowhere to be seen.

Kyawong-

At that moment, I heard the roar of a beast from one side.

Ash’s roar wasn’t this sweet. Puzzled, I turned my head and froze on the spot. Two black leopard cubs were approaching.

They looked somewhat like cats, but they were definitely the cubs of a wild animal.

Could they be young beastmen who haven’t undergone humanization yet? However, their agile movements and lowered posture made it difficult to see them as two or three-year-old beastmen.

‘…They’re real black leopards.’

Just as my mind went blank, a confrontation formed with the two black leopard cubs who had already narrowed the distance.

‘Go away.’

Kyawong-

The roar of the tiny cub, compared to Ash or Bara, didn’t pose even an inch of threat.

How laughable. I scoffed and threatened them, extending my trembling forepaw.

‘Do you want to be punished?’

The tension continued.

Fortunately, one of the two quickly lost interest and sprawled out, rolling around. However, the remaining one growled and attempted a pathetic bite.

Even if it’s a cub, my body could be torn apart if I’m not careful. Being a rabbit and on the smaller side, I rolled my body around to avoid the bite.

In an instant, I ran to the side and kicked the black leopard cub with my hind leg. The black leopard cub didn’t submit even after falling to the ground and bared its fangs.

It seemed to recognize me as prey, but unfortunately, I was higher in the food chain.

‘This little thing…!’

You, you.

Slap, slap. While counterattacking by hitting its snout with my forepaw, a huge shadow loomed over me.

The black leopard cub, who was struggling under me, looked at it with tearful eyes as if it had seen a savior. Instinctively judging that it wasn’t an ally, I turned around with sharp eyes.

‘…Bara?’

I looked up at the burly black leopard with a scar across its eyes and stammered. Bara didn’t show any signs of aggression, as if it had recognized me by my scent, and just stared down at me.

A thought flashed through my mind like lightning: the black leopard cubs looked quite similar to someone.

‘Su, surely…!’

Whisk, my bewildered gaze turned to the black leopard cub who had already sprawled out. The inaccessibility and extraordinary nature, as well as the melancholy, resembled our Ash, didn’t they?

Whisk, my gaze shifted to the black leopard cub under my forepaw. The tenacity to resist to the end and the hateful appearance were just like Bara.

Finally realizing that the little problem Ahin mentioned was these beasts, I covered my mouth with my forepaw.

‘Bara, you-!’

You thieving bastard···!

The sense of loss from having a friend, sister, and child stolen from me all at once swept over me.

My paw movements, which had been shaking Bara’s fur, gradually slowed down.

In fact, Ash was the most worrying thing when leaving Grace Manor. I was bewildered and also happy that Bara’s unrequited love had come to fruition, wondering if he had taken good care of him in the meantime.

‘Bara, where’s Ash?’

As if reading my thoughts, Bara pushed open the ivory door and turned to look at me.

As I quickly followed, the sound of rustling footsteps echoed behind me. The black cotton balls were following behind.

Was it okay to go together? I looked around, but Bara started running ahead as if it was none of his business.

* * *

“Shu, Bion, don’t run inside the mansion… Rabbit-nim?”

“Shu, Bion, you guys! It’s dangerous… Ra, Rabbit-nim?”

“Shu, Bion, you almost stepped on… Rabbit-nim!”

The employees, who were flustered and lifting their feet, all exclaimed the same word in astonishment.

Doo-doo-doo, we ran through the mansion without paying attention and headed towards the main gate.

‘Could it be that Ash has gone out?’

I frowned, contemplating whether to transform into a human, even though my mobility would be reduced.

In the distance, I saw a pitch-black creature sitting in front of the iron bars. The gradually slowing run eventually stopped completely.

When I didn’t move from my spot, Bara and the black leopard cubs also stopped and tilted their heads in confusion.

Nevertheless, I stood there blankly, recalling Valence-nim’s letter.

[Ash is very healthy, but I didn’t know he was such a stubborn child.]

Ash was usually obedient and followed well, but he often turned into a stubborn child when things didn’t go his way.

If he didn’t get as much attention as he wanted, he would make a mess of the bedding, and he would often glare at Ahin and refuse to go to Evelyn’s bedroom.

Once, even when I was groaning with a cold, he insisted on staying by my side,

‘Ash!’

He was severely scolded by Meimei.

Since I was groaning without being able to eat, he even tore up the garden lawn and piled it up in front of the bedroom.

He seemed to think that if he gave me grass, I would get better since I always ate hay. It was later that I learned about the story of the gardeners wiping away tears as they watched the garden being destroyed.

What I realized as I shared time with him was that Ash was a maverick and had a stubborn streak.

And the stubbornness of the stubborn was valid even in the face of endless waiting.

‘…That idiot.’

Even though he was just sitting blankly in front of the main gate, I could tell how Ash had spent the past year and a half. The nonchalant attitude of the security guards guarding the main gate proved how many times this had happened.

Perhaps Ash was the one who had waited for me the most here.

He didn’t know what the situation was, and he couldn’t communicate. Because he didn’t know anything.

For Ash, it must have been like someone who was always with him suddenly disappeared. That’s why he couldn’t accept the separation and was waiting for me every day, not knowing when I would come.

I wiped my reddened eyes with my forepaw and began to move my heavy steps.

One step, one step.

With each step closer, the days I spent with Ash, who had blindly stayed by my side, were drawn.

How should I repay that steadfastness?

I couldn’t decide whether to apologize for making him wait or to express my gratitude first.

Perhaps even if I prostrated myself and begged, Ash wouldn’t understand. The gap between humans and animals hindered the complete transmission of sincerity.

The black butt was getting closer and closer.

I quietly passed the tail drooping on the floor and tapped Ash’s butt lightly with my forepaw.

Startled by the sudden movement, Ash turned his head and hid on the opposite side.

When there was nothing behind him, Ash looked around in confusion and looked forward again. Now was the time.

‘Woof!’

As usual, I raised my forepaws and played around, pretending to be a black leopard.

Ash, who faced me, froze on the spot.

After being still for a long time, Ash suddenly lay down and rubbed his nose against me instead of his forehead. It was a sign of affection and attachment shared by rabbits.

‘Why is a black leopard doing this when he’s not a rabbit?’

He must think he’s a rabbit because he’s been with me. I rubbed my forehead, shedding tears and laughing in vain at the same time.

‘How nice would it be if I could understand your words.’

For a black leopard with a shorter lifespan than a beastman, a year and a half must have felt like several years.

Foolishly, tears welled up as I thought about Ash, who would leave first. When that time came, it was my role to wait for Ash, who wouldn’t come, and bury him in my heart and live on.

I will never disappear without a word again. I will definitely stay by your side until you close your eyes.

Desperately hoping that my sincerity would reach him, I hugged Ash for a long time.

* * *