The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 73

The Symbiotic Relationship Between a Rabbit and a Black Panther (73/75)

Two years had already passed since Bibi and Ahin’s reunion. In the meantime, Shu and Bion grew up showered with love from the Grace mansion’s residents.

“Who is it! Who on earth stole the carrot cake meant for the banquet!”

“Why is my wooden sword like this? Why are there teeth marks…?”

“Goodness, Ahin’s shirt has turned into rags!”

“Shu-! Bion-!”

Anyway, they grew up healthy and strong, receiving plenty of love.

As time passed and they entered their turbulent adolescence, the greatest ordeal they faced in their lives was none other than their identity.

What plunged the two black panthers into agony was,

-Shu, Bion. To become respectable adults, there’s something you need to know now.

It was Bara’s heartfelt words, difficultly uttered.

-Actually, you’re… not rabbits.

‘We’re not the same species as Bibi!’ For them, who had lived their whole lives as rabbits, it was a bolt from the blue.

They hopped around following Bibi, thought hay was their staple food, and firmly believed that their round ears would one day become long like Bibi’s.

-This can’t be….

Late at night, Bion, seeking solace in a walk to calm his troubled thoughts, sighed deeply.

“I knew something was off; Mom and Dad were the only ones who didn’t look like us.”

“No, that’s not it. From the start, we looked just like Mom and Dad, not Bibi.”

Shu, correcting him, paused before a hallway mirror. Round ears, a long tail, and sharp fangs. Confronted by features unlike Bibi’s, Shu shook his head, as if trying to reprogram his own thoughts.

“No, Bion. No matter what anyone says, we are definitely rabbits. Just a bit bigger.”

“Liar. Where in the world is there a rabbit as big as a mountain like us?”

Bion sobbed, turning away from his reflection. Now that he paid attention, even the shape of his front paws differed from Bibi’s.

“The humans tricked us! They all said we were Ash and Bara’s rabbit-like children!”

“Bion….”

“Sister, does this mean we’re not Bibi’s friends anymore? Will we have to part ways with Bibi someday?”

Shu, remembering Ivelin’s advice, tried to reason with Bion.

“Get a grip. That minion’s minion [referring to a subordinate of a subordinate] said Bibi is a rabbit with a big heart. Surely Bibi won’t abandon us just because we’re a different species, right?”

“The guy we met in the Forest of Boundary said rabbits and black panthers can’t live together!”

“What kind of little rascal said that?”

“Zaha, that guy….”

“Hey, you believe that windbag?”

Shu retorted, attempting to appear composed, but his eyes betrayed his uncertainty. Bion, growing even more distressed by his sister’s reaction, finally broke down in tears.

“What do I do? I’m so sad….”

“Stop crying and let’s go back to our room. This older sister will find a way for black panthers to become rabbits.”

Since the front was Bibi’s bedroom—formerly Ahin’s bedroom—they couldn’t go any further.

Just as Shu was biting and pulling on Bion’s tail, a loud argument suddenly erupted from inside Bibi’s bedroom.

Bang. The door swung open, and Bibi stormed out, wearing a negligee, carrying a backpack, and clutching a pillow tightly.

True to her rabbit heritage, she descended the stairs with lightning speed. Her white hair flickered like an afterimage in the darkness.

“Bibi!”

Ahin followed, grabbing Bibi’s cloak. While Bibi wore a negligee, he was neatly dressed as if he had just come from work.

Startled by the sudden commotion, Bion forgot his tears and nudged Shu.

“…Sister, did they fight again? It seems a bit serious this time, doesn’t it?”

“No doubt that disobedient underling is staging a coup [attempting to overthrow Bibi].”

“Well, he’s awful too. Just because he’s Bibi’s direct subordinate, hogging her side every day, he should at least do a good job.”

Shu and Bion, who had been harshly criticizing Ahin, suddenly exchanged glances.

*If that’s the case… if we drive out that nasty underling and become Bibi’s direct subordinates, there’s no way we’ll ever have to part ways.* The two black panthers, their thoughts aligned, ominously gleamed in the darkness.

Flap.

Meanwhile, Queen, who was watching the scene from a tall tree, frowned with a strange sense of foreboding. The two black panthers were chirping and peeping as they stared in the direction where Bibi and Ahin had disappeared, which was very suspicious.

*What kind of trouble are those two going to cause now?*

I watched him closely, trying to understand what he was thinking, but alas, it was impossible for a magpie to decipher the language of a black panther. Forever.

* * *

Two years had passed since Ahin and I reunited.

In that time, I had become an even more exceptional rabbit beastkin.

I consistently held the top rank in the entire academy and achieved something unprecedented: a rabbit beastkin elected as student council president. Moreover, I accomplished this remarkable feat while completely concealing my connection to the Grace family.

Before I knew it, the leaves were falling, winter was ending, and the academy graduation ceremony was just around the corner.

‘Rabbit, once we’re inside the office, don’t move at all.’

I heard Evelyn’s soft whisper in my ear.

‘Ahin might sense you. He’s not human, after all.’

‘I’m ready.’ Transformed into a rabbit and hidden inside Evelyn’s vest, I made a circle with my front paw to signal my readiness.

Click. As soon as I heard the door open, I held my breath. I felt Evelyn calmly sit down at her desk.

Having successfully infiltrated the office, I focused my senses.

This elaborate scheme was all to read Ahin’s mind. Ever since the weather turned cold, he had been acting strangely.

There wasn’t one specific event that triggered it, but I could feel it building, moment by moment. The subtle way he was avoiding me.

To be precise, it felt like an indescribable distance had grown between us.

At first, I thought, *Is that beast just trying to get my attention again?* But the problem was that his strange behavior was lasting longer than I expected.

The first sign of his odd behavior was that he started coming home late from work.

Since I was still living in the academy dormitory, Ahin would often come home early, even bringing his paperwork to the bedroom on the days I stayed at the mansion.

But lately, he’d been sneaking in late at night. And the number of times we had breakfast together was dwindling, with the excuse that he was too busy.

It wasn’t just that. He would talk as usual, but somehow avoid eye contact, and the number of times our skin touched gradually decreased.

However, these were subtle changes that those around us wouldn’t notice, so it was an ambiguous issue to bring up.

Just enough that if I asked why and Ahin said he hadn’t done anything, I’d have nothing to say.

Nevertheless, I felt a strange sense of loss, as if a hole had been punched in my heart. Even as I tried to sleep, I was bothered by Ahin’s gaze drifting away from me like water, and even as I listened to lectures, I was bothered by Ahin naturally creating distance when our hands touched.

The ambiguous change became even more apparent after I started staying at Grace Manor [likely the name of a residence] ahead of graduation.

Finally, last night.

Unable to speak, I waited for Ahin to come home with bloodshot eyes. When hushed footsteps entered the bedroom late at night,

‘Ahin, why are you avoiding me these days?’

I blurted out the question I had been swallowing all along.

But I couldn’t hear the sincerity I had hoped for. Ahin, who I thought would either feign ignorance or make some other excuse, didn’t react at all.

Why couldn’t he answer?

The unexpected long silence brought a tension as if I were standing in the middle of thin ice. I felt unbearably anxious and afraid.

Unable to bear the silence, I impulsively ran out of the bedroom, along with an angry declaration of running away, suggesting we stay apart for a while if he wanted to avoid me so much.

That was the commotion that happened last night.

‘I can’t breathe.’

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling a finger tap against me.

“Bunny, please stay still; it tickles.”

It was Evelyn’s signal, and she was being unusually cooperative today.

But what could I do? It was so stuffy inside these clothes.

Moreover, Evelyn’s unexpectedly firm abs were squishing my cheek. Reluctantly, I carefully shifted my cheek, then froze.

“Hngh,”

Evelyn couldn’t suppress her laughter and burst out.

‘Oh no, have I been caught?’

Tense, I covered my mouth and strained my ears.

However, no one in the office seemed to question the laughter. Apparently, Evelyn laughing to herself wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

For the first time, I was grateful for Evelyn’s eccentric personality and quietly waited for my chance.

How much time had passed?

Evelyn, who had been sitting at her desk continuing her work, finally signaled to me. It meant she was about to start probing Ahin.

“Ahin.”

A rather dry voice echoed in the office.

“The manor [likely referring to Grace Manor, their residence] has been quite noisy since this morning.”

“-Probably because Bibi ran away to Mother’s bedroom.”

I was inwardly frustrated, unable to see Ahin’s expression as she replied.

“…Yes. I’m sorry, but may I ask what caused the General’s wrath? The heavens are angry too, about to strike with thunder and lightning, cough.”

Indignant at the naturally flowing mockery, I kicked Evelyn’s stomach with my hind legs.

‘Just say what’s necessary, and only what’s necessary!’

“Evelyn, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”

At Ahin’s puzzled question, I, who had finally come to my senses, widened my eyes.

“I apologize, my stomach is a little… It’s just that a beauty like me is naturally frail.”

“You’re just spouting nonsense; no wonder your stomach is struck by thunder and lightning.”

Fortunately, thanks to Evelyn’s composed response, Ahin didn’t suspect a thing.

‘Why is she being so lenient for once?’

Whatever. It was just as Evelyn and I, relieved, were swallowing sighs of relief, that…

“Evelyn.”

“Yes.”

“Stand up from your seat.”

Due to Ahin’s command, delivered without preamble, we froze.

If we stand up now, she’ll find out that I’m hidden in her clothes. Thump, thump. I couldn’t tell if the rapidly beating heart was mine or Evelyn’s.

After an uncharacteristic pause, Evelyn slowly opened her lips.

“Is there something you want to order?”

“I’m just a little suspicious because you’re unusually quiet today.”

‘Just how much do you usually talk?’ Growing anxious, I shifted within Evelyn’s clothes.

I still haven’t figured out why Ahin is acting so strangely. I’ve never resented Ahin’s extraordinary perception as much as I do today.

Creak. Eventually, Evelyn, unable to find another way out, slowly stood up from her seat. The clothes blocking my view felt incredibly stifling.

Just as the heavy silence became unbearable, Ahin’s slow voice cut through the air.

“Your stomach has gotten quite big in just one day.”

“I’m embarrassed,” Evelyn smoothly joked, rubbing her stomach as if I were just a food baby [a bulge in the stomach caused by eating too much].

“I must have eaten too much for breakfast. The menu had my favorite meat.”

“Take it off.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Your vest.”

There was no way to avoid the relentless pursuit of that beast.

Always so extraordinarily quick-witted.

Judging that it was impossible to hide any longer, I started swimming frantically within Evelyn’s clothes.

Since it has come to this, I have no choice but to be brazen.

As I scrambled up, kicking with my front and hind paws, I heard a short scream from another aide.

“Oh my god, Lady Evelyn’s belly… !”

Finally reaching the first button of the vest, I poked my head out. At the same time, my eyes met Ahin’s, who was staring intently in my direction.

What, what are you looking at? Having decided to go rogue as of yesterday, I glared fiercely. Although my spying attempt was caught, my heart remained confident.

Perhaps she hadn’t expected me to be hiding, because Ahin looked slightly surprised before twisting her lips. It was a clear sign that she was in a low mood.

“…Evelyn, was the meat you ate for breakfast rabbit meat?”

“Ahin. I was just about to tell you, but there’s a spy here.”

With a snap, a decisive finger pointed towards my ear. It was Evelyn’s finger, choosing betrayal as soon as the plan failed.

“I am innocent. I was only threatened to cooperate in spying on Ahin’s condition.”

Sob, sob. Evelyn made a whimpering sound in a monotone voice, burying her face in both hands.

Instantly framed as the spy, I breathed heavily.

You wretched black panther. You said you would voluntarily help me gauge Ahin’s feelings!

While punishing Evelyn with my front paws, my body floated into the air. It was Ahin who had approached and snatched me away from Evelyn.

As soon as I realized that this was our first contact in days, a wave of sorrow washed over me. Her calloused palm felt quite unfamiliar.

“…Bibi.”

Ahin’s face loomed before my twisted expression.

Her beautiful face, backlit by the window, was so serene it could have been a sculpture. Unlike me, who was emotionally charged, I couldn’t find a trace of agitation in her.

Why was that? In that serene face, I sensed a strangeness, a feeling reminiscent of our first meeting after a long separation.

Yesterday, and the day before as well. It wasn’t just a day or two; Ahin’s behavior since the transition from autumn to winter flashed through my mind like a panorama. A montage of her recent actions played out before me.

Why are you doing this?

Why do you keep avoiding me?

Did I do something wrong?

The feelings of disappointment and hurt that I couldn’t easily express spread out, creating ripples of unease within me.

“Bibi, I know you’re angry at me for this, but,” Ahin began, her voice soft.

Hanging in the air, suspended by Ahin’s grip, I pursed my lips and turned my head away from her, refusing to meet her gaze.

“-Even so, I don’t like being inside Evelyn’s clothes.”

‘…Is this really the time to be picky about that?’ I thought, incredulous.

Snap! The string of reason inside me broke. My patience finally snapped.

Because you kept avoiding me, I’ve been suffering for days. Why won’t you tell me anything? The frustration bubbled to the surface.

‘That’s enough.’ I decided, a sense of finality washing over me.

Whether you avoid me or not, I don’t need to know the reason anymore. I was done trying to understand.

“Bibi, why is your expression like th-” Ahin started, concern etched on her face.

‘Put me down.’ I demanded silently.

The pent-up sorrow burst forth, and I impulsively bit Ahin’s approaching finger. It was a desperate act, fueled by weeks of confusion and hurt.

Red eyes widened with shock and dismay at the unprecedented event. Evelyn, whose mouth was covered, and the aides shared the same reaction.

‘I’m leaving.’

Put me down. Ignoring everything, I gnawed and pointed to the floor with my front paw.

As the dazed Ahin mechanically bent down, I jumped out of her hand and dashed towards the entrance.

However, there was no way a rabbit’s strength could open the closed door.

Looking up at the towering marble door, my gaze shifted to a painting I hadn’t noticed before. It was a portrait of a rabbit doing gymnastics in the training ground.

‘I thought I had gotten rid of everything, but when did she paint such a shameful scene?’ With oil poured on my already surging emotions, I shook the hem of the aide’s pants, who was standing blankly.

“D-Do you mean this painting?”

The aide, somehow understanding my intention, hurriedly took down the portrait and held it out.

Tear, tear. The rabbit doing gymnastics was torn to shreds by sharp front paws.

“That’s not allowed. There’s only one in the world,” Ahin said, rarely showing such dismay, as she moved closer step by step.

‘Go away.’ Not allowing her approach, I pushed hard on the tip of her shoe with my front paw.

‘…Ack!’

But instead, I fell backward.

“Are you hurt?”

‘When did you start avoiding me? Don’t touch me as you please.’

Unyielding to the ordeal, I slapped away Ahin’s approaching hand. The secondary impact caused his already shaken pupils to waver even more.

For a moment, I wondered if I had gone too far, but steeling my heart, I borrowed the aide’s hand and climbed onto the desk.

Ding, ding, ding. My cotton-like paws rang the small bell several times. Simultaneously, Ash, who had been waiting at the entrance, burst into the office. It was a hidden card in preparation for when we had to flee after being caught spying.

I really hate you. We didn’t forget to glare at Ahin until the moment we ran away.

* * *

Deep dawn. Swish, a black figure secretly leaped over the terrace railing. It was a terrace that led directly to Valence’s bedroom.

The sound-suppressed footsteps of the intruder crossed the bedroom and eventually stopped in front of the wide bed.

“To sneak into the leader’s bedroom without permission, you wouldn’t have enough heads even if you had two.”

At that moment, Valence’s elegant voice broke the silence.

“-Ahin.”

“…Didn’t you already know from the moment I came in?”

“That’s true.”

Smiling crookedly, Valence got up and turned on the lamp near the bed. As the bedroom brightened, Bibi, who was fast asleep, was revealed.

Lightly sitting on the bed, Ahin looked down at the runaway rabbit who had been on the run for two days. Judging by the fact that she was lying opposite the head of the bed, she must have rotated half a turn while sleeping again.

He hesitated as he unconsciously reached out to stroke her white cheek. He remembered the incident where Bibi bit his finger during the day.

I know that Bibi only bites the guys she really hates. Being hated is thrilling in its own way, but being hated in a situation like this was like poison.

With a serious face, Ahin averted his gaze from the sleeping Bibi and glanced at Valence.

“Mother, your cheek is swollen?”

Valence was pouring wine into a glass, and Ahin noticed her cheek was slightly swollen.

“I was careless and got kicked by the rabbit. It was an unintentional attack, so it was difficult to anticipate,” she explained.

“That must hurt quite a bit.”

“It stung,” Valence admitted.

*Perhaps that child is the only one on the continent who can use the ‘anklet sword’ on me,* she mused. The ‘anklet sword’ was likely a reference to Bibi’s surprisingly agile and potentially painful kicks. Valence delivered the line as a joke, though there was a hint of truth to it, and brought the glass to her lips.

After taking a sip of wine, she spoke a beat later.

“So, what is it?”

Ahin, understanding the indirect question—why he was avoiding Bibi—chose silence.

“Well… I guess you wouldn’t tell me the reason either.”

Valence, not really expecting an answer, gestured towards the door with her glass.

“You’ve seen my face, so you should leave now.”

“Just a little longer.”

“I don’t know what courage you have to avoid the rabbit when you can’t even last a day without intruding into my room.”

“…….”

“Don’t make it difficult for me. Hiding the rabbit from you twice isn’t that hard for me.”

Raising one eyebrow, Ahin faced Valence directly.

The mere fact that Bibi ran away from home had made Ahin’s world more brutal and terrible than Ivelyn. Experiencing a separation like that from Bibi once was more than enough. The thought of it happening again was unbearable.

Valence also turned her body slightly to face him. Ahin’s occasionally indifferent expression was too similar to Idis, a trait she found both intriguing and concerning.

“I can’t figure out what you’re thinking at all,” she stated, her voice laced with a hint of playful frustration.

She, who fully understood Bibi’s frustrating feelings, smiled gently. She knew the complexities of young love and the anxieties that came with it.

It probably wasn’t a pheromone surge. After almost losing Bibi in the past, Ahin wouldn’t repeat the same mistake of hiding a pheromone surge. Because he’s usually not that kind of person; he was typically more open and communicative.

Valence stared at Ahin, who couldn’t even properly touch Bibi, only fiddling with her fingertips. His hesitation was palpable, a stark contrast to his usual confidence.

Then, she turned her gaze to Bibi’s sleeping face. It was an expression weighed down by worries, as if he had lost the world. The carefree joy that usually radiated from him was absent, replaced by a deep-seated anxiety.

Looking at his deeply furrowed brow, she recalled what Bibi had said just before falling asleep.

‘Ahin sometimes looks depressed…’

For no reason, and moreover, Ahin of all people? It seemed so out of character.

After pondering, Valence happened to spot a calendar in the bedroom. The end of winter marked Bibi’s graduation, and spring heralded the engagement ceremony.

“Ahin, are you feeling a bout of pre-wedding blues, which doesn’t suit you at all?” she asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Pre-wedding blues?” he echoed, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

“It’s a symptom where people feel depressed for no apparent reason before getting married,” Valence explained. “A sort of anxiety about the future and the commitment.”

Ahin raised the corner of his mouth as if it were absurd.

“That can’t be.”

“Well, Idis and I also passed through it uneventfully,” Valence said with a shrug, implying that even the strongest relationships could experience such moments.

“Of course, their marriage is still talked about even now.”

The love between the youngest leader of the Black Leopard territory and the beauty praised as the most beautiful on the continent. Lilian used to subtly boast about the two, even while gossiping about Idis. She would tell Ahin, until his ears were sore, that it was a fiery, once-in-a-century love.

“It’s the opposite.”

Valence shrugged, smiling meaningfully.

“Opposite, you say…”

Ahin, who had been playfully poking Bibi’s nose, raised his head, a puzzled expression on his face. He didn’t quite understand Valence’s words.

“It was a marriage without love from the start.”

“……?”

“So there’s no reason to feel pre-wedding blues, don’t you think?”

“……?”

If Lilian heard this, she would break dozens of canes in anger.

Ahin, his mouth slightly open, unknowingly twisted Bibi’s nose, which he had been touching. Huffing, Bibi, struggling to breathe because of it, kicked her feet as she dreamed of swimming in the vast ocean.

* * *

At eighteen, Valence, noble from birth, was strict with discipline and prioritized honor and power. She was also sensitive to intrusions into her territory and didn’t even allow them in the first place.

To her, Idis was like a heretic [someone holding unorthodox beliefs].

As the third son of the Peion family, he was relatively free from responsibility, and honor was a word that didn’t seem to exist in his vocabulary. Nevertheless, she found it strangely annoying that he easily gained the favor of others with his outstanding beauty.

Was it because of their opposite personalities? From childhood, whenever the two met at social gatherings, they exuded a cold atmosphere.

From the start, the mutual dislike was obvious. Valence saw Idis as an unlucky seed, while Idis viewed Valence as an arrogant and rigid beast. However, due to their difference in hierarchical status, only Valence openly displayed her displeasure.

‘My head feels like it’s splitting.’

And that day, in particular, the council of elders had been relentlessly pressuring Valence about marriage and succession.

‘Should I just blow up the conference room where the elders are staying, making it look like an accident?’ Sizzle—a hole burned through the document Valence was signing in her office.

Lost in such extreme thoughts, Valence slowly turned her gaze to the window.

A black figure was perched on the windowsill. As the moon, momentarily hidden by clouds, revealed itself, platinum blonde hair, which she knew so well, fluttered in the night breeze.

Averting her gaze, Valence continued signing the document and asked,

“Are you aware that entering this place without permission is punishable by beheading?”

“That’s harsh, Chief. Even though I came with my grandfather, who is affiliated with the council of elders?”

“Even for high-ranking nobles, immediate punishment isn’t impossible. Furthermore, I don’t believe you and I have a relationship that warrants meeting separately like this.”

It was the first time they had ever met privately like this, let alone outside a social gathering.

Rustle, rustle. Valence flipped through the documents and continued signing. “Before the punishment, I’ll ask what business brings you here.”

“Let’s get married.”

“…….”

“Us.”

Drip. The pen nib, which had been gliding across the document, halted abruptly.

Valence raised her eyes, her gaze settling on Idis, who remained perched on the windowsill. He had nonchalantly tossed out an unimaginable proposal and was now, with infuriating audacity, turning up the corners of his lips in a smile.

The smooth smile was dazzlingly beautiful, as always, and just as irritating.

* * *

Idis Payant.

As the third son of the Payant family, he was, by all accounts, an ordinary young master with limited prospects of inheriting the family head position.

That is, except for his exceptionally handsome appearance, capable of making even animals pause in disbelief, and the unique pheromones of unknown origin that seemed to cling to him.

In any case, Idis, who had been living a reasonably peaceful life, began to feel a growing discomfort. It started subtly, then became overwhelming.

The gazes that followed him everywhere, the rumors of unknown origin that seemed to swirl around him, and the excessive attention that felt utterly unnecessary were nothing short of annoying.

At times, he even felt as if countless eyes were floating around him in the middle of the darkness, watching, judging.

All of this, he knew, was due to his beautiful appearance, which was renowned even at the edge of the continent. It was a gilded cage.

Perhaps that’s why he sought solace elsewhere.

Idis began to indulge in a hobby that ordinary beast-kin [people who can transform into animals] would never consider. Like now, he roamed around in the form of a sleek black panther that no one could recognize, a shadow amongst shadows.

Tap, tap. Inevitably transformed into a black panther, he spurred on his running speed, the pads of his paws barely making a sound on the forest floor.

His destination was the forest bordering the rabbit territory. The unique air of the forest, thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the exhilarating sense of speed against the wind were his few escapes from a monotonous daily life. A brief respite from the suffocating attention.

‘…A marriage proposal has arrived. From the next leader of the fox territory!’

The paws that had been running breathlessly gradually slowed down. The wind whipped around him, carrying the scent of pine and something else… something unsettling.

The news Lilian, his father, had blurted out that morning was proving even more troublesome than Idis had initially imagined.

‘That collector of beauties?’ Idis thought, a hint of disbelief in his mind.

‘Yes!’ his father had affirmed.

‘I was wondering why someone like that was leaving me alone,’ Idis mused, a touch of sarcasm lacing his thoughts.

‘Hey, do I look like I’m joking?’ Lilian had retorted, his tone serious.

‘…You’re not joking?’ Idis had asked, seeking confirmation.

‘I knew this would happen eventually, which is why I’ve told you repeatedly to get engaged to a suitable young lady. How are you going to refuse this proposal?’ his father had pressed.

A marriage proposal from the next leader of the fox territory. That was the crux of the problem.

This time, it wouldn’t be easy to dismiss with a convenient excuse, as he’d done in the past.

Even though the Peiant family was a high-ranking noble family within the black panther territory, it wasn’t a simple matter for the third son to reject a marriage proposal from someone destined to lead another territory.

Moreover, the fox territory had begun to forge closer diplomatic ties with the black panther territory, making the situation even more delicate. He might very well be forced to accept the marriage proposal. Even if it meant becoming the fourth consort of the next leader of the fox territory, a prospect that filled him with dread.

Idis, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him, tapped his tail lightly against the floor.

He had always known that his marriage would one day be used as a bargaining chip for the family’s benefit.

However, he had never imagined being offered as a consort to another territory, let alone to its future leader.

He knew, with chilling certainty, that he would be swept up in a whirlwind of political maneuvering. Given the polyandrous [having multiple husbands] nature of the fox territory, he would not only be embroiled in power struggles between the consorts but also face the constant threat of assassination for the rest of his days.

‘I wish I wasn’t so pretty,’ he thought ruefully.

Idis, resting his cheek on his paw, sighed deeply, his worry palpable.

Without much enthusiasm, he ambled along before abruptly stopping in the vast meadow. A woman entered his listless gaze.

Soon, a voice that cleared his ears rang out.

“I was looking for you.”

Standing in the middle of the meadow, she called to Idis and patted the spot next to her. Approaching without resistance, Idis obediently sat down beside her.

“I’m glad; I thought I wouldn’t see you today.”

Smiling, she extended her left hand towards Idis.

“Paw.”

‘You think a forepaw looks like a hand?’ he thought, a flicker of amusement in his mind.

Did she even think it was possible to train a black panther? Idis twitched his eyebrow but obediently offered his forepaw.

“The other paw.”

‘Damn it,’ he thought, suppressing a sigh.

Thud. The bulky other forepaw landed on the woman’s palm. Not stopping there, she mimed swinging a sword at Idis.

“Yap.”

Thump. Idis played along, feigning death to her rhythm.

Why on earth was he doing this? It was a moment that filled him with newfound respect for all the pets across the continent who played along with their owners.

“Good boy.”

Finally satisfied, the woman’s lips curled up gently. Her hand, as if impressed, softly stroked Idis’s chin.

“It will be difficult to come here for a while. I think I’ll be busy.”

‘Is it just today or tomorrow that you’re busy?’ he wondered.

“-I’m thinking of getting married soon.”

Thud. Idis felt as if the ground beneath him was giving way and turned to look at her.

The woman, oblivious to his reaction, was simply staring at her toes.

The fingers that tucked the loose silver hair behind her ear were calloused, a mark unique to those who wielded a sword. His gaze shifted, taking in her long eyelashes and slightly parted red lips.

Just as Idis’s height had noticeably increased recently, the woman was also losing her girlishness with each passing day.

Then, the silver hair scattered by the wind tickled the tip of his nose. Only then did Idis realize he had been blankly staring at the woman and hurriedly turned his head.

‘What does it matter to me?’ he thought.

The woman was of a status where it wouldn’t be surprising if she held a wedding ceremony tomorrow.

Valence Grace.

This strange relationship with her had already been going on for two years.

The beginning of their meeting was when Idis, as usual, was roaming the forest of the boundary in the form of a black panther.

Valence, who happened to be passing by in a carriage, was captivated by his beauty—or so it seemed to Idis—and attempted to approach him.

Idis, who didn’t particularly have good feelings towards her, continued to pretend to be a black panther, intending to tease her.

He still didn’t know what his stubbornness was about.

Was it because he disliked Valence’s arrogant gaze, which he had seen at social gatherings? Or was it because he was drawn to her unguarded expression when they first met?

The problem began when, contrary to Idis’s expectations of being quickly discovered, Valence simply regarded him as an ordinary black panther.

There was no way the strongest black panther in the territory wouldn’t be noticed. He was certain his true nature should have been obvious.

He wondered if she had ulterior motives, but she would often ramble to herself, completely unaware of his presence as anything more than an animal.

‘Fetch!’

Seeing her earnestly throwing a disc and completely absorbed in playing… there was no way she could be acting. It was too genuine.

This meant that the pheromones Idis possessed were either equal to or even stronger than Valence’s, effectively masking his true identity.

Valence’s complacency, stemming from her arrogance that no one in the black panther territory possessed pheromones equal to hers, also played a part. This was easily seen in her habit of treating her escorts as mere decorations.

Idis found these previously unseen aspects of Valence quite fascinating. Whenever he occasionally visited the boundary forest, he would unconsciously look for her, wondering if she might appear.

This strange relationship began to change in earnest from the moment he discovered Valence standing alone and still in the meadow.

That day was the day Valence completed her inauguration as the youngest leader after the death of her last remaining parent and chieftain due to illness.

There shouldn’t be any more encounters. The crime of mocking the leader was punishable by death.

Nevertheless, Idis couldn’t ignore Valence crying silently in a place where she thought no one was around.

He would silently spend time with her, and sometimes accommodate Valence, who tried to strictly ‘educate’ him with commands and training.

The precarious encounters, with his identity hidden, had already increased to a number too difficult to count.

‘Marriage is also one of the leader’s duties. The council of elders is already in an uproar… Oh, what am I saying to a black panther?’

Valence, chuckling, laid down on the meadow, using Idis as a pillow.

‘I hope he’s a man without any desire for power. Because I don’t want to share the leader’s authority, not even a little bit.’

‘As if there could be a nobleman without any desire for power.’

A chieftain’s husband; it was a story that didn’t concern him at all anyway.

“Again….”

Idis, raising an eyebrow, listened to Valence’s muttering.

The conditions she insisted on for her husband were absurd.

To maintain the bloodline, he had to be the heir of a high-ranking noble. Since the pheromones of the successor would be expressed through Valence’s dominant genes anyway, the presence of pheromones didn’t matter.

Also, to complement her somewhat rigid personality, he had to be someone with diverse thoughts.

He needed to have a wide network to be diplomatically useful, and preferably, he should have a face that could win the hearts of the territory’s people.

Most importantly, they shouldn’t have any romantic feelings for each other. Love was both the greatest strength and weakness for a ruler.

Valence considered love the most unnecessary emotion in governing a territory.

‘She might as well put a scarecrow in the husband’s seat.’

She might as well say she doesn’t need a husband to live. Idis chuckled, imagining a scarecrow standing alone next to Valence on their wedding day.

Did a man who wouldn’t have romantic feelings for Valence even exist in the world? He was horrified by the crazy thought he had inadvertently, and slapped his own cheek.

Startled by this, Valence grabbed Idis’s cheeks.

“You do these bad things sometimes, don’t you?”

‘It’s all because of you….’

Idis, shaking his head irritably, froze at the sight of Valence right in front of him. She was too close.

“Is it because you’re ticklish?”

Valence’s voice, filled with concern, barely registered in Idis’s mind. Her words seemed to fade into the background.

The moment he saw the reflection of the black panther in her red eyes, the emotions he had been suppressing surged forth like a tidal wave.

He couldn’t pinpoint when it had started.

Initially, he’d believed it was merely a sense of superiority, stemming from his unique insight into Valence’s character – aspects hidden from others. He’d thought he simply enjoyed witnessing her cold facade melt away, intrigued by those rare moments of vulnerability.

But before he realized it, his affection had grown so profound that he now desperately hoped Valence wouldn’t go through with the arranged marriage.

Idis turned his back to Valence, attempting to conceal his trembling pupils.

How arrogant had he been to assume Valence sought him out, like a sturdy tree seeking a place to lean for support? That was only true when he was in his black panther form. As a human, his relationship with her was, at best, awkward. They had never even had a genuine conversation.

To be precise, it would be more accurate to say she didn’t particularly care for him.

The way she avoided eye contact whenever she saw him.

The indifferent glint in her red eyes.

The tightly pressed lips.

Idis, who was accustomed to receiving goodwill and admiration due to his striking beauty, couldn’t possibly have overlooked that coldness.

‘I need to stop this.’

It would be better to run away, to never see her again. Because even though he had become aware of his feelings, they were emotions that should be quietly buried, locked away forever.

Idis, who had believed these feelings would remain a secret until his dying breath, turned to flee. But with a thump, he tripped before he could even take a single step.

“Where are you suddenly going? Did you find some prey?”

Valence, having snatched his swaying tail, tugged Idis as if in a tug-of-war.

“You haven’t been here long, so if you keep acting like this, I’ll be upset.”

‘What kind of human strength is this….’ Idis wondered, struggling against her pull.

They said the Grace lineage were all monsters. Stripped of even the freedom to wallow in the sorrow of heartbreak, he was dragged along like luggage.

Eventually, dragged back to Valence’s side, Idis resigned himself to his fate. He was already dreading what kind of tremendous human the heir born from Valence would be.

“What do you think? Would a noble lineage from another tribe be better?”

‘I doubt there’s such a groom candidate in other territories,’ Idis thought with a sigh.

Idis inwardly gave a listless reply and clicked his tongue.

A superior lineage with no desire for power, a relaxed and free way of thinking, wide connections, and a face that could garner goodwill from others….

‘In the first place, what kind of high-ranking noble is so stupid as to have no desire for power?’

Idis, who had been muttering, suddenly felt a shock as if struck by a hammer.

‘—Isn’t that stupid guy me?’

The person who met all those ridiculous groom conditions.

Although it didn’t work on Valence, didn’t he also have a face that even his father, Lilian, would concede to?

Furthermore, he was confident he could prostrate himself without even a hint of a desire for power.

“……?”

Meanwhile, Valence watched the black panther, who had stopped running away and was confidently sweeping back his black fur.

This black panther is exceptionally beautiful, but he often pretends to be fatal, like someone caught up in narcissism….

“Yes, yes.”

Valence, not understanding the meaning, stroked the head of the black panther showing off his beauty. He had no idea if black panthers even had standards of beauty.

* * *

“As a lifelong companion….”

Half of the wedding ceremony consisted of the high priest’s speech.

Valence, carefully masking his boredom, glanced at Lilian, who was being supported by the surrounding nobles.

‘Chief, please call off this marriage!’

He had been furious, declaring he could never give up his son and that the black panther territory would be ruined!

‘I must stop this marriage right now, huh!’

‘L, Lilian-nim!’

In the end, he foamed at the mouth and collapsed during the wedding ceremony.

Valence, who had been smirking, casually looked up at the man who was about to become his husband. His gaze traveled up the tall figure, settling on a face that seemed almost otherworldly.

As if living up to his reputation as the most beautiful beastman on the continent, Idis’s even indifferent expression gave the illusion of a man burdened with a secret story.

Valence, gazing up at his unreal appearance, was lost in thought.

‘Let’s get married.’

When he suddenly appeared and spouted such nonsense, she wondered which safe zone [protected area] he dared to talk crazy in.

Upon further reflection, Valence realized there was no one more suitable to play the role of her ideal husband than that rascal, Idis. Moreover, he possessed a rare dominant pheromone—a superior pheromone, though it was unfamiliar to her.

‘I’m in a rather desperate situation right now.’

Idis’s request was quite plausible.

For Valence to designate Idis as a candidate for her husband would effectively block the marriage proposal from the next leader of the fox territory.

It wasn’t just about any young lady; from the moment a marriage proposal with Valence, the leader, was underway, it would be possible to naturally break off the marriage proposal with them. [This implies that Valence’s position as leader makes her marriage proposals highly significant.]

Since the next leader of the fox territory was not an easy person to deal with, there was no more certain way to refuse his advances.

‘I also don’t want to live a life where I’m not the first anymore.’

The slowly uttered words were enough to roughly guess the kind of life he had lived. [This hints at a past where Idis was perhaps overshadowed or not prioritized.]

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Idis, noticing the gaze fixed on him, asked in a voice only Valence could hear. Valence didn’t bat an eye and lied.

“Because you’re pretty.”

“I know, you quite like my face.”

There should be a limit to self-love. Valence, unable to hide her disgusted expression for even a moment, twitched her lips.

Idis smiled brightly, facing Valence’s honest expression, which he saw for the first time in human form.

Valence, rather embarrassed by his silly smile, slowly lowered her gaze.

From the first time they met until recently, the reason she found him unpleasant was because of his pretentious smile, which made it difficult to read his true feelings. Strangely, she didn’t feel any particular ulterior motive now.

Bang! As the high priest’s blessing ended, the deafening sound of fireworks and the cheers of the territory’s people mingled. Valence, standing amidst the scattering white petals, opened her lips.

“Keep your promise; neither of us wants romantic feelings.”

“You should do the same, Chief.”

“…Now that I think about it, we didn’t specify the consequences if this condition isn’t met.”

“Ah.”

Idis sighed briefly, his brow furrowing as if deep in thought. Valence, waiting for his reply, waved to the people of the territory.

“As I said, my goal is to make this the strongest territory of all. If, by any chance, unnecessary feelings arise and cause problems…”

“……”

“You are free to leave.”

*Of course, after producing an heir.* Valence added silently, turning her head to meet Idis’s gaze. Idis stared down at her, his expression unreadable.

Soon, the red eyes beneath his platinum-blonde hair curved into a beautiful smile.

*Why does the black panther in the Boundary Forest suddenly come to mind at this moment?*

Valence wouldn’t realize that the black panther from that time was Idis until well after their wedding.

* * *

Valence, having finished her long story calmly, swept the flowing silver hair behind her ear. The words ‘you are free to leave’ didn’t mean to go to a place where they could never see each other again; it was more of a… well, she hadn’t fully thought it through.

“I probably hurt your father a lot without even realizing it.”

Ahin, faced with an unimaginable truth, blinked blankly. Valence, turning her back to her son, who was showing a rare dazed reaction, said casually.

“All that remains for the one who inflicts pain is regret.”

It was no different from saying to treat people well while they are around.

Ahin, who had been sitting still, began to wrap the sleeping Bibi in the blanket. This made Bibi’s torso, clad only in a negligee, appear even more massive.

Hugging the swollen cotton ball-like Bibi, Ahin immediately turned towards the door.

“Then, Mother,” he said.

He paused briefly and parted his lips, without turning around.

“Did you ever love Father?”

“…….”

Valence, momentarily distracted by the thought of asking him not to take her only blanket, given the somber atmosphere, crossed her arms.

*What if the Head of the Family falls in love with me first?*

*That will never happen to you.*

*You’re so strict, can’t you even imagine it?*

*Let’s drop the pointless topic.*

Why couldn’t she have answered that she would never let go back then? Valence smiled faintly and moved her lips to speak.

“Still.”

It was a short answer, but its weight was by no means light.

Ahin, leaving Valence’s bedroom, walked down the hallway at a slow pace.

Even though Ahin had spent only a short childhood with his father, he couldn’t forget him. He didn’t dare to judge Valence’s feelings, a woman who bore the sorrow of losing a loved one while steadfastly maintaining her position.

Ahin’s gaze slowly drifted to Bibi’s face.

He wondered how long she had been awake. Bibi, whose acting skills relied more on enthusiasm than talent, subtly twitched her nose.

Ahin, pretending not to notice, abruptly turned to look out the window. Snowflakes falling from the night sky were painting the dark garden white.

*Ahin, why are you avoiding me?*

Surely, he could easily come up with excuses for Bibi’s questions. He couldn’t understand why he was unable to even make excuses, let alone lie, when faced with her innocent expression.

*All that remains for the person who inflicts the wound is regret.*

The image of those purple eyes, surging like waves, haunted him. The precarious way she avoided his outstretched hand, the hesitant steps she took backward.

Lowering his head, Ahin looked at Bibi’s neck, which was tightly wrapped in the blanket.

The sensation he had felt near Bibi’s neck when he had absentmindedly touched it a few days ago was still vivid. The mark made by his fangs one winter day had disappeared, but he couldn’t deny that the remaining scar was also his doing.

The tips of his fingers trembled slightly. Inevitably, the image of Bibi dying flashed before Ahin’s eyes. The image of a baby rabbit gasping for breath, blood spurting from its neck.

*When I came to my senses, the wound had almost healed….*

Bibi stubbornly insisted that she was okay, but Ahin was still far from okay.

“……”

The red eyes, a stark contrast to the pure white snow, darkened with turmoil.

For some time now, he had been afraid of Bibi whenever winter arrived, and he hated winter so much that he felt a deep aversion to it.

* * *

The scenery outside the carriage window blurred as we clattered along.

Resting my chin on my hand and gazing out the window, I couldn’t help but replay the events of last night in my mind.

Lord Valence and Ahin’s hushed conversation, Ahin secretly returning me to the bedroom after my little escape. And then, waking up alone after dozing off.

*Ahin, are you feeling a bit of pre-wedding jitters? It hardly suits you.*

Could it be that Ahin is actually experiencing pre-wedding blues? Lost in thought, I was jolted back to reality by Lil, who was perched on the driver’s seat.

“Rabbit, are you really leaving without saying goodbye to Lord Ahin?”

“I’m just visiting the Academy for a bit, that’s all.”

It wasn’t intentional, but a slightly sulky tone crept into my voice. After clearing my throat, I quickly added, “Ahin probably wants some time away from me too.”

“Goodness.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s not like Lord Ahin to act that way… Is he unwell or something?”

*His heart must be hurting*, I replied in a barely audible voice, then sighed deeply.

Ahin is a delicate and sensitive beast, after all. I, Bibi, have no choice but to wait patiently, like a mature adult.

I muttered to myself, forcibly suppressing the anxiety that was bubbling up from my toes. The nagging fear that perhaps Ahin was growing tired of me.

Trying to shake off the thoughts that kept clouding my mind, I abruptly changed the subject.

“Oh, right, Lil. The luggage compartment seems heavy. What’s in it?”

“Lilian is still at the Academy, isn’t she? I packed her favorite apples to the brim since we’re going that way.”

“I see.”

“And Rabbit, why are you going to the Academy? You’re graduating soon, so there shouldn’t be any classes.”

“I have some business with Professor Jinan.”

Tugging at the cloak over my uniform, I pondered the most pressing issue lately.

The excitement of the upcoming graduation and wedding felt fleeting. My immediate concern was the child Ahin and I might have in the future.

Even setting aside the differences between Herbivores and Carnivores, it would be a real problem if the child’s pheromones manifested as Ahin’s dominant pheromones.

Of course, I could suppress it with my healing pheromones, but the problem was the unavoidable pain. My own considerable pheromones were also a concern.

I wanted to discuss it with Ahin, but I hesitated, fearing his extreme reaction might lead him to reject having children altogether, given his eccentric personality. So, I decided to consult Professor Jinan, who knows our situation well, for advice.

Lost in thought, the carriage gradually slowed and came to a halt.

Soon, Lil’s face appeared in the window separating the driver’s seat.

“Rabbit, we have a slight problem.”

“A problem?”

“There’s a protest blocking the city streets on the way to the Academy… It seems safer to take another route.”

“Then let’s do that.”

If it’s dangerous, we should definitely detour. As soon as I replied decisively, Lil’s eyes flickered.

“It seems we’ll have to detour through the Lion territory’s grasslands, which connect to Belhelm. Would that be alright with you?”

“…Lion?”

My pupils widened, a sudden tremor running through me.

“What if a lion actually appears while we’re passing through?”

“That’s—!”

Lil clapped a hand over her mouth, her face more terrified than if she’d already spotted a lion.

“Lil…”

“Rabbit…”

We stared at each other, frozen like statues, before our gazes shifted in unison to Mayme, who had joined us as a guard.

Ever taciturn, her presence so subtle it was almost nonexistent, she wordlessly drew a dagger from her apron. It was her way of indicating that a few lions wouldn’t pose a problem.

Reassured by her reliable demeanor, Lil and I nodded involuntarily.

Bump, bump. With no other option, the carriage detoured into the Lion territory, its wheels turning relentlessly. Each bump was a stark reminder of our situation.

My legs jittering nervously, I stealthily glanced out the window. Before I knew it, the carriage had passed the boundary marker of the Lion territory and was now traversing a vast, open grassland.

‘You should come visit the Lion territory sometime.’

‘Ah, but if you venture towards the grasslands, be warned, there are wild lions roaming about.’

Suddenly, Rune’s mischievous face flashed through my mind. The memory was so vivid, it was as if he was right there, teasing me.

That meddlesome lion, why did he have to tell me that and needlessly scare me? I mentally rebuked the innocent Rune and hastily drew the curtain closed over the window.

I offered an awkward smile to Mayme, who was staring intently ahead, and rested my chin on my hand, feigning composure. Of course, my legs were still shaking uncontrollably beneath my dress.

With my extensive experience dealing with wild beasts, there was no way I’d be scared of a lion the size of a bucket. (Of course, that was a lie.)

Thump.

“Mayme, it’s a lion!”

The carriage shook violently, and in a flash, I found myself practically sitting on Mayme’s lap.

“I sense movement from the luggage compartment.”

Mayme, ever vigilant, narrowed her eyes, her hand already on the dagger at her hip.

“The luggage compartment…?”

Didn’t Rill say she loaded apples in the luggage compartment? Do lions even steal apples, like Ash [a character known for stealing apples]?

Lost in these absurd thoughts, I cautiously approached the window to check on the luggage compartment.

With a rustle, I pulled back the curtain, only to see the rumps of two black panthers bounding along beside the carriage.

‘Are there black panthers in the Lion territory’s grasslands, too?’

Were they just slightly larger, darker versions of house cats? As I stared blankly, a frown creased my forehead.

The ribbon on the right black panther’s tail… it was definitely the one I tied for Bion.

In the ensuing silence, it only took a few seconds for the horrifying realization to dawn on me: Shu and Bion had hidden in the luggage compartment and followed us. My face drained of color.

‘No way.’

If those troublemakers were to attack a pride of lions, it was obvious what would happen to the two not-yet-fully-grown black panthers. They wouldn’t stand a chance.

* * *

Chirp, chirp. The sound of birds jolted me awake.

‘Where is this…?’

The tall trees overhead obscured the blue sky, and before me stretched a grassland dotted with sparse thickets.

Feeling like I’d been abandoned in the vast ocean, I stared blankly at my dirt-covered paws.

How did I end up lost in the lions’ habitat? Swallowing hard, I thought back to about thirty minutes ago.

To when I witnessed Shu and Bion leaping out of the luggage compartment and into the grassland. The thought of losing them made my vision blur.

In that instant, my body, defying reason, sprang out of the carriage as if propelled.

‘Oh my gosh, a bunny!’

‘Bunny, sir!’

Lil and Mayme’s urgent calls merely brushed past my ears.

Transforming into a rabbit for maximum mobility, I began to dash across the vast grassland.

And by the time I finally caught up with them, we had run so far that the carriage was nowhere in sight. That was the whole story.

‘You guys…!’

My eyes narrowed sharply as I turned my head. There stood Shu and Bion, tears streaming down their faces like chicken droppings.

‘Why did you do that!’

You almost never sneak into the luggage compartment to follow along, so why today of all days!

I smacked their bottoms with my paws a few times, then paused to catch my breath.

More than scolding them, I needed to find the carriage as soon as possible. Even if we encountered a lion, I could manage to protect myself, but controlling Shu and Bion, who could dart off anywhere, was beyond my capabilities.

‘…I can’t even turn back into a human.’

I couldn’t wander around naked, even if it was a barren field.

While contemplating how to return to the carriage, I sensed a strange presence from the bushes.

‘What is it?’ I covered my mouth with my forepaw and pricked up my ears.

A lion lowering itself to hunt, or perhaps a group of lionesses moving together. All sorts of thoughts rushed through my mind.

Shu and Bion, who had stopped crying in the meantime, also stood behind me, on guard with their fur raised.

Rustle, rustle.

Soon, the green bushes parted, and a small creature leaped out energetically. At the same time, my strength waned, and I suppressed the pheromones I had been gathering.

‘It’s just a rabbit?’

Well, just because it’s lion territory doesn’t mean there can only be lions. Relieved, I turned to look at Shu and Bion behind me.

However, instead of being behind me, they were hiding far away behind a tree, watching the scene. They looked uncharacteristically frightened.

‘……?’

Why are they like that? I frowned, looking back and forth between the rabbit in front of me and Shu and Bion, who were trembling.

They weren’t even scared in front of Ahin or Iblin. Could it be that they think a rabbit is higher in the food chain than them?

‘Where on earth did they learn that?’

I had no idea what to do with these black panthers who were afraid of rabbits. I stared at them, their eyes wide with fear, before turning my gaze forward again.

The rabbit I examined up close was observing me with a rather profound expression. As I stared back with equal intensity, the rabbit slapped my cheek with its front paw.

‘It hit me…?’

No sooner had I touched my cheek in bewilderment than I was slapped again, my head snapping to the other side.

It was truly strange. As a pureblood rabbit beastman [a humanoid with rabbit features], most rabbits should approach me favorably.

‘Is it trying to establish dominance?’

Don’t do this. Unable to bring myself to hit it back, I gently nudged the rabbit with my front paw.

However, the rabbit snorted and retaliated by slapping my cheek again.

‘I said stop!’

Nudge, retaliate, nudge, retaliate. Finally, the rabbit leaped high, and a fierce front paw fight erupted.

‘I told you I can’t wander around as I please… Bibi [a term of endearment or respect]?’

To slap this Bibi-nim’s [adding ‘nim’ to a name or title is a Korean honorific] cheek.

Pow, pow, we ignored the presence of others and rolled on the ground, kicking up dust.

‘-Wait, wait. Both of you, stop.’

Just then, a hand appeared from above and forcibly separated me and the rabbit. I caught my breath, my body shielded by the large hand.

‘Are you now trying to conquer even the lion territory?’

‘···Huh?’

I definitely knew that voice. Belatedly looking up, the first thing that came into view was a familiar head of pink curly hair.

“Oh, you’ve got dirt on your nose.”

As soon as a thumb brushed lightly across my nose, I looked up to see Rune’s carefree face. It was definitely him.

* * *

Maniontz Estate

Having barely managed to shift back into my human form, I hastily put on the clothes Rune handed me. It was an unusual outfit, consisting of a satin dress cinched with a belt.

‘…Now what am I supposed to do?’

The place I was standing was none other than a small bedroom attached to Rune’s office.

In other words, I was in the Maniontz mansion, the heart of the Lion Territory.

‘Bibi, I’m sorry you’re wiggling so diligently, but… I still have no idea what you’re trying to tell me.’

Since I couldn’t explain my predicament as a rabbit, Rune had brought me here, unsure when I would revert to my human form.

“Hmm…”

I paced anxiously, then resolutely tightened the belt.

The first thing I needed to do was send word to the carriage waiting for me in the prairie and to the Grace family. As I considered my options, my gaze turned towards the culprits of this whole incident.

“Shu, Bion.”

At my stern call, Shu and Bion, who had been hiding behind the curtain, cautiously peeked out.

They looked strangely subdued, a far cry from their usual confident selves, especially after sneaking snacks from the kitchen.

“Is it because of that rabbit earlier?”

Was it because they were too scared? I approached them and knelt down.

“Don’t worry, black panthers aren’t rabbits’ food.”

I explained the relationship between rabbits and black panthers in detail, then held Shu and Bion’s paws.

“Listen carefully, that’s not the problem right now. We don’t have any allies here.”

Even though we were on friendly terms, the fact that this was the head of another territory’s mansion made me feel uneasy.

“Rune would help if necessary, but he’s too lazy to be completely trusted.”

“Does he seem lazier because of his eyes?”

“That’s right.”

I reflexively agreed and then stiffly straightened my back.

Turning my head towards the voice, I saw Rune leaning against the doorframe, looking bored. Unlike when we met in the prairie, he was now wearing the Lion Territory’s unique attire, complete with a belt.

“You were clasping your paws together as if I were your savior when we met in the prairie.”

“…….”

“Now you’re completely ignoring me since I helped you.”

I glanced around cautiously and frowned slightly, feeling puzzled. The rabbit I had fought earlier was nowhere to be seen.

Rune, noticing my gaze, tilted his head.

“I wondered if the black panthers were really scared of the rabbit, so I left it with the servants for a while.”

He slowly approached and knelt down beside me. I calmed Shu and Bion, who were baring their teeth, startled by his sudden appearance.

“They look a lot like the black panthers that followed Bibi around.”

“Because they *are* Ash’s babies.”

Though they’ve gotten too big to be called babies now.

“I knew it. Restin.”

Rune snapped his fingers, looking at Shu and Bion.

At the same time, Restin suddenly poked his head out from behind the door. He wore an expression overflowing with sensitivity, as usual.

“Interpret why these black panthers are trembling so much.”

“Me? I refuse. I don’t prefer using my pheromone abilities in the first place.”

Restin adjusted his monocle and flatly refused.

“And I’ve never had a good experience when involved with that rabbit.”

“That’s…!”

“D, don’t come any closer.”

I belatedly nodded in agreement, having been about to retort. Come to think of it, it was an undeniable fact that strange people like Ahin and Ivelyn naturally showed up whenever I got involved in something.

“Restin.”

At Rune’s forceful call, Restin eventually hesitated and observed Shu and Bion carefully.

“…They seem to be afraid of being abandoned.”

“How do you know that?”

I initially thought the request to interpret their behavior was a joke. I was taken aback, my pupils shaking slightly.

Then, Rune, who had been resting his chin on his hand beside me, continued with an explanation.

“Restin’s pheromones allow for a very subtle form of communication with animals.”

“It’s a pheromone with limited practical use, though,” Restin countered.

“Well, animals seem to find Restin a bit… distasteful, so they tend to avoid him.”

“Distasteful? They simply don’t welcome me!” Restin huffed, adjusting his monocle.

My eyes widened as I learned about pheromones, something I had only ever read about in books. ‘I see,’ I thought, finally understanding why Restin, the lion, had been avoiding me. It must have been unsettling for him that he couldn’t discern anything from me, despite my being an animal myself.

If that’s the case… I opened my mouth, then turned sharply to look at Shu and Bion. They were still looking around cautiously, their tails tucked low.

“What’s with you two? Who on earth thinks I’m abandoning you? Is that why you followed the carriage all the way here?”

Why would they even think such a thing, making me so upset? I grabbed their front paws and shook them gently, as if interrogating them.

“Sir Restin, please convey this to them.”

“What should I say?”

“Tell them I would never abandon them.”

“I understand, so please, please don’t come too close,” Restin pleaded, taking a step back.

How can a lion be so timid? I narrowed my eyes and leaned back, and only then did Restin cautiously approach and attempt to communicate using his pheromones.

“You promised to scatter flowers at the wedding and protect the child when it’s born…”

Muttering in frustration, I realized my mistake and turned to look at Rune.

“Did you hear that just now?”

“I barely heard it because it was so quiet. Starting from the wedding part?”

He heard everything. My somewhat flustered face was reflected in his clear golden eyes.

*Does he still have feelings for me?* The thought that Rune must have heard about the upcoming wedding made me uncomfortable.

“Bibi.”

Rune, who had just been staring at me, opened and closed his red lips.

“Y-yes, please speak…”

“Why are you suddenly using such formal language?”

I always resort to honorifics when I’m at a disadvantage. Feeling awkward, I neatly folded my hands together.

He brushed a strand of hair that had fallen across my face behind my ear.

“You really haven’t changed at all. Still so timid.”

The way his dry expression softened was endearingly out of character. Just as the atmosphere was turning strange,

“Excuse me.”

Restin suddenly thrust his face between us.

“The misunderstanding about being abandoned has mostly been resolved, but these black panthers still insist on eliminating the minion.”

“…Minion? Who are you calling a minion?”

“I wouldn’t know. Just an eyesore of a weed.”

“Could it be Evelyn?”

“That makes sense. That weed needs to be eliminated.”

For the first time, Restin and I, our minds aligned, exchanged glances.

As I was about to add something, I suddenly turned to look at the window. The sky, slightly overcast with dark clouds, looked like it would pour rain later.

Rune, who was also looking at the window, slowly rubbed his temple.

“Bibi, I’ve already sent a message to the Grace family. Well, even if I hadn’t, Ahin Grace would have flown over anyway.”

My shoulders flinched as soon as Ahin’s name was mentioned.

The image of his broad back, which I had been seeing frequently lately, came to mind, and anxiety crept in.

*Maybe he won’t come to pick me up.* Having had such a negative thought, I unknowingly drooped my eyebrows.

“What’s wrong?”

At Rune’s question, I quickly snapped to my senses and clenched my fist tightly. I was planning to go back on my own anyway.

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about going back before everyone gets worried.”

“Ah, right. You should go back. …It’s not good to stay here too long.”

Rune, in response, wore a rare look of embarrassment. I furrowed my brows, becoming serious along with him.

“Bibi, I’m sorry, but there’s something I overlooked. I only remembered it after arriving here.”

“…What is it?”

Don’t beat around the bush ominously; just tell me right away.

“There’s someone you shouldn’t run into when leaving this mansion.”

‘Someone I shouldn’t run into? Is it the leader of the Lion Territory?’

The Manients family. In other words, this mansion was no different from a gathering place for the leaders of the Lion Territory.

For now, I’m also someone who will belong to the Grace family in the future. Meeting the leader of another territory was part of diplomacy, so it was necessary to be careful.

After hesitating for a while, Rune slowly opened his lips.

“It’s my sister.”

“Rune’s sister, the next leader?”

“Yeah, well.”

Leona Manients. I trembled as I recalled the rumor that she throws a punch first if she doesn’t like something.

“The punch… No, why would she suddenly…”

“It’s complicated to explain, but roughly, she’s in the same category as Ahin Grace. It’ll be quite a hassle if you run into her.”

“What did you say?”

“It’ll be a hassle if she finds out Bibi is here.”

“No, not that.”

“In the same category as Ahin Grace. It’ll be quite a hassle if you run into her.”

“What did you say?”

“It’ll be a hassle if she finds out Bibi is here.”

“No, not that.”

“In the same category as Ahin Grace,”

“Oh my god.”

I covered my mouth and shook my head repeatedly.

There was no need for further explanation or justification. I didn’t want to encounter another force of nature like Ahin twice in my life.

I had to avoid her at all costs.

* * *

At the edge of the Black Panther Territory.

With a gentle rein, Ahin halted Jane [her horse’s name] and gazed up at the sky, where the sun had already dipped below the horizon. Her silver hair danced in the chilling wind.

“Looks like it’s going to rain.”

Eveleen, trailing behind on her own horse, couldn’t quite mask her annoyance. “The weather’s turning foul, and I’m still wondering why we’re chasing after the Rabbit’s carriage.”

Ahin produced a book from within her robe. “Bibi left behind the book she always carries.”

It was a manual on taming beasts.

“There are countless books like that in the academy library. Just admit you want to borrow it from Rabbit,” Eveleen pressed.

“I *am* going to borrow it.”

“Then why is Rabbit avoiding you?”

Ahin offered no reply, a slight twist to her lips betraying her inner turmoil.

She had tried to bear her trauma in silence, determined not to show any sign of avoiding Bibi. But whenever she caught Bibi lingering nearby, her own fingertips would grow stiff, driving her nearly mad.

And that wasn’t all. Oblivious to Ahin’s inner turmoil, Bibi would gently touch Ahin’s face or hands while she slept. Every winter night became a battle between reason and fear.

“You need to tell me the reason so I can find a solution. Otherwise, if this gets to Lillian, another cane will break.”

Eveleen continued, seemingly unaware of Ahin’s increasingly furrowed brow.

“It may be presumptuous of me, but I, Eveleen, need to know the reason as well.”

“No, if Eveleen knows the reason, she might die.”

“Then perhaps I should remain ignorant forever.”

Eveleen, reversing her stance in an instant, fell silent, a rare occurrence.

Ahin glanced at her expressionless face and chewed on her lip in thought.

“…Kneeling alone won’t be enough, will it?”

“If you shed some tears, perhaps Rabbit’s anger might subside a little.”

Eveleen, who had never begged for forgiveness in her life, pondered deeply. It was a foreign concept to her.

“Difficult. I’ve never quarreled with a lover before.”

“You haven’t even *met* anyone, have you?”

“My beauty must remain a public asset.”

It was a brazen assertion that didn’t even cause her to bat an eye. Ahin found herself somewhat amused by Eveleen’s audacity.

Ahin, somewhat persuaded by her audacity, scanned Eveleen from head to toe. Now that she was of marriageable age, nobles had recently been subtly inquiring about Eveleen’s marital status. Matchmakers had begun circling, drawn to her family’s influence and Eveleen’s renowned beauty.

“You have no intention of meeting anyone?”

“Not entirely absent, but I’m waiting for it to happen organically, someday.”

“Do you think that’s easy?”

“Didn’t you suddenly catch the ‘Rabbit disease’ one day, Ahin?” Eveleen asked, using Ahin’s own term for his obsession with Bibi.

As Eveleen said, perhaps he *had* caught the ‘Rabbit disease’ the moment he picked up Bibi. Unable to argue, Ahin chuckled, then paused.

‘…I wouldn’t want it if it wasn’t *that* rabbit.’

Suddenly, a vague memory flickered through his mind, and he frowned. It felt like a distant childhood recollection.

“Ahin?” Eveleen called out, puzzled by his sudden vacant stare.

“…Eveleen, when did Father buy me a rabbit doll?”

“Excuse me? That was ages ago…”

Eveleen frowned at the unexpected question.

“Wasn’t it around the time you visited the Rabbit Territory? I seem to recall you started carrying a rabbit doll around then.”

The two exchanged puzzled glances, then simultaneously turned their heads in the same direction. Beyond the edge of the forest, a gorilla was charging toward them.

“Was this forest a habitat for gorillas?”

“No, it’s definitely a habitat for black panthers.”

“Then what *is* that?”

“It looks like a human figure… Ah, it’s Lil. The carriage must be nearby.”

As the distance closed, Lil’s tear-streaked face became clear. A sudden, ominous premonition struck Ahin, and he quickly dismounted from Jane [his horse].

“A, Ahin-nim!” Lil cried out.

“What is it?” Ahin asked, his voice tight with apprehension.

Lil, rushing to Ahin’s side, abruptly presented a black cloth. It was the Velhelm Academy uniform jacket.

*Surely not*, Ahin thought, his heart pounding. Swallowing hard, he quietly waited for Lil’s next words.

“We, we detoured through the Lion Territory because of a sudden protest in the opposite territory…,” Lil stammered, her voice thick with tears.

Lil recounted Bibi’s pursuit of Schua and Bion after disappearing. She explained how Lil and Mayme had split up to search, eventually encountering Rune’s messenger bird. With trembling hands, Lil presented a letter.

Instantly, Ahin snatched it. His hands slipped several times as he unfolded the rolled-up letter.

The letter read: 「I’ll return Bibi when she wants to come back on her own.

– Rune Manyantz」

With a sob, Lil, who had glanced at the contents, burst into tears.

With that thunderous cry, Ahin’s heart plummeted to the ground. A cold dread washed over him.

* * *

Schua and Bion dove into the dark hole. It was a secret passage leading outside from within the Manyantz mansion.

*Where am I, and what kind of rabbit am I dealing with?* Bibi pondered. Belatedly, she cupped her hands together and shouted,

“Be careful not to sprain your ankles!”

“Bibi, do you really have to go now?” Bion called back, his voice echoing in the tunnel.

Rune, who had been squatting beside me, asked, clearly displeased.

“I’ve already secured a carriage and sent a messenger. Traveling during the day is risky, but if we leave late at dawn, we can avoid my sister’s watchful eyes.”

“Everyone is quite worried. Schua and Bion certainly won’t quietly wait until dawn.”

“Well, I imagine Ahin Grace is probably frothing at the mouth by now.”

“Well…”

I smiled awkwardly and smoothly changed the subject.

“But is it really alright to tell me about this secret passage?”

“It’s fine, since we’re getting rid of it soon anyway.”

Rune, who had been staring at me intently, dusted off his hands and stood up.

“Alright, Bibi needs to make her escape too.”

“It’s quite high up, how am I supposed to get down—”

Without a word of warning, Rune swept me up into his arms and jumped.

“Save me!”

“You flew around just fine when you were a rabbit.”

That good-for-nothing lion, always with the teasing.

I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut as I felt my body plummeting downwards.

“Bibi, you can open your eyes now… Ouch, my head, my head.”

I snapped awake at the sound of a pained voice. I must have been unconsciously tugging at my curly hair.

The moment I hurriedly pulled my hand away, I met a pair of dreamy golden eyes in the dim light.

I guess unfocused eyes shine brighter in the dark. I stared blankly for a moment, then quickly stepped down to the floor.

“S-sorry…”

“No worries.”

Rune shrugged and placed a strange metal band on my head.

“Black panthers have good night vision and sensitive senses, so they’re fine, but…”

With a click, a small lamp swung into view in front of my eyes. It seemed to be for lighting the way through the secret passage.

“Bibi doesn’t. Remember? At the fork in the road, always…”

“The right.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting at the exit.”

“…Aren’t you coming with me, Rune?”

“I told you, it’s a passage I used to go through when I was a kid. As you can see, my body is like this now.”

I looked back and forth between the small passage ahead and Rune, whom I had to crane my neck to see.

Indeed. The entrance of the passage was so narrow that, judging by appearances, Rune wouldn’t be able to squeeze past his shoulders.

“You can do it, right? It’s not that far to the exit.”

“No problem.”

Nodding vigorously, I lowered myself and carefully stepped into the passage.

“Ah, there’s something I didn’t mention. They say there are ghosts sometimes.”

Did Bibi really think I’d be scared by such childish teasing? I narrowed my eyes and looked back to see Rune bending over, peering in at me.

“Ha, really? As if there are ghosts in the world.”

“Hey, Rabbit, can I ask you something?”

“What is it now!”

If he started talking nonsense, I was ready to kick him with my hind legs. I glared, determined.

“Your expression seems a bit dark whenever Ahin Grace’s name comes up.”

“…….”

“Did you two fight?”

It all showed on my face, huh? Momentarily flustered, I opened and closed my mouth, searching for an answer.

Was it because someone recognized me in a strange territory that all these emotions I had been trying to suppress were now surging like a wave?

My mood had been going up and down all day because of that nasty black panther. I swallowed hard and fidgeted with my hands.

“Do you remember?”

Rune, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me, slowly spoke.

“I told you that you can’t leave once you come to the Lion’s territory.”

“Don’t tell me….”

Could it be that his feelings for me have remained unchanged even after all these years? Unwilling to speak rashly, I hesitated before finally parting my lips.

“That rabbit with Rune, I thought it was a beastkin [a humanoid with animal features].”

“She’s just an ordinary rabbit. An encounter like Ahin Grace and Bibi’s isn’t likely to happen easily.”

Rune chuckled and reached out his hand.

“It seems like now is your last chance to run away before the wedding.”

“…….”

“Is the Lion still not to your liking, even now?”

Unable to voice a cruel refusal, I turned my back to answer instead.

Carefully taking steps, I glanced back slightly to see Rune still looking my way.

“…Rune, you know.”

“Tell me.”

“Actually, we haven’t even met that many times, so how could you….”

*Why do you still like me so much after all this time?* The unfinished question lingered at the tip of my tongue.

“I guess that’s just how it is. Even though we’ve only been together for a few hours, the memory grows as if we’ve spent days together.”

Rune, who easily inferred the question, replied without inflection.

“You give meaning to trivial things, and they bother you. It’s not really an emotion proportional to the number of times we’ve met.”

Rune waved his hand casually as he spoke fluidly. Considering what he had just said, he had a surprisingly nonchalant expression.

“So, you better leave quickly, while I’m still letting you go.”

*Bibby was right*, I thought. Wild beasts are fickle. You never know when their mind might change.

Hearing those added words, I quickly picked up the pace. As the passage deepened, I only turned back after Rune’s presence had completely disappeared.

*Even though we’ve only been together for a few hours, the memory grows as if we’ve spent days together.*

I somehow understood how he felt.

* * *

Leona roughly swept back her bothersome hair. Following her touch, her pink curly hair, resembling Rune’s, wriggled.

“I heard Rune is rejecting this marriage proposal too?”

A cool voice echoed through the office.

“I’m worried. He’s the chief’s son, but those embarrassing rumors are swirling around…” Ezran, Rune’s maternal grandfather, sitting on the sofa, clicked his tongue. “Anyway.”

Leona glanced at the dainty teacup being crushed in his massive hand and muttered.

“At this point, the rumors might be true.”

“Leona, how can you say such a thing about your brother! How much is Rune… how much!”

“How much what?”

“…I will seriously talk to Rune.”

Ezran’s voice, losing confidence in the rumors, gradually faded. Leona twirled the pen she was holding and added.

“Well, of course, they’re just rumors. He has an unexpectedly innocent side… like still having a soft spot for the Grace family’s rabbit.”

“Still? Goodness, Lilian was grinning from ear to ear, saying they’re holding the wedding this spring.”

“Hmm, you saw him, Grandpa. Is he really that impressive… for a rabbit?”

Ezran, taken aback by the unexpected question, recalled the white rabbit.

Kicking pebbles at Ahin and Rune, basking in Valens’s blind affection—Valens, the powerhouse of the Black Leopard territory—and…

“I saw him in his human form, and I hate to admit it, but he had a good look in his eyes. His spirit is extraordinary.”

“Oh…”

“He’s quite skilled, too; he mentioned it when he met Valens recently. Said his kicks are surprisingly powerful.”

“…Someone actually managed to kick him?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Even if it was an accidental hit during sparring, it’s still impressive.”

Leona, impressed, gazed at Ezran, still remarkably muscular despite his age.

‘If even Grandpa and Valens acknowledge him, he must be quite strong.’

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly looked down. A faint tremor, almost timid, vibrated through the floor.

‘That place is…’

Leona’s golden eyes narrowed. It was the secret passage they used to play hide-and-seek in when Rune was little.

“Wasn’t that passage sealed? It shouldn’t be big enough for an assassin to pass through…”

Ezran, unable to hide his anger, released a surge of pheromones, as if ready to attack at any moment.

“Grandpa, let’s at least see who it is first.”

“I was going to deal with it here anyway—”

“Shhh.”

Remembering his pheromones, which tend to destroy everything, Leona put a finger to her lips. Even if it was just a temporary office, she didn’t want it turned into a wasteland.

Clunk, clunk. Amidst the clumsy shaking, the floor opened, and a head of white hair popped up.

Leona, making eye contact with the uninvited guest, was lost in thought.

‘Too innocent-looking to be an assassin; is this a trick to lower their guard?’ she wondered. Moreover, with a lamp dangling precariously from their head, they looked more like a grave robber than an assassin.

‘…Why am I the one getting scared when they’re the ones trespassing?’

Even the purple eyes revealed beneath the lamp seemed full of fear.

Realizing their precarious situation, the would-be assassin quickly slipped back down. A pale arm then reached up, attempting to close the floor, but the mechanism seemed difficult to manage.

Clunk, clunk, the slender arm flailed pathetically.

“Oh, dear.”

Leona sighed briefly and approached the secret passage. With surprising ease, she grabbed the assassin by the scruff of their neck and lifted them bodily into the air.

“What is this, a bite-sized snack?”

Leona frowned and muttered.

At the cruel remark, the assassin, dangling in the air, clasped their hands together as if begging for mercy.

Ahem. Only then did Ezran, who had been frozen in place, clear his throat loudly.

“Leona, it would be best to put them down for now.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know why you came out from there, but…”

The end of his composed voice trembled, sounding almost like a bleating goat.

“…Th-that’s it.”

“That?”

“The power behind the Grace family.”

‘Why is he suddenly talking about the Grace family’s rabbit?’ Leona frowned, not fully understanding the non sequitur.

“What are you trying to say?”

“You know, the baby rabbit I said I saw.”

Ezran poked at the air with his index finger as if pointing at something only he could see.

‘What baby rabbit?’

Leona stared blankly at Ezran, then her gaze snapped like lightning to the assassin.

Lilac eyes and teeth that showed no sign of fangs. There was no doubt; it was a rabbit beastkin [a humanoid with rabbit-like features].

* * *

Unintentionally finding herself face-to-face with the next leader of the Lion territory, Vivi swallowed tears inwardly.

Her butt, sitting on pins and needles, continued to fidget restlessly. She had no idea how she ended up drinking tea in Leona Maniontz’s office.

‘It’s all because of that lion.’

I shouldn’t have been so reckless, talking about ghosts…!

In the pitch-black darkness, relying solely on the lamp’s light, I panicked and rushed through the passage, only to end up here.

Surely, even if Rune led me astray, there should have been an empty room. How did I end up in Leona Maniontz’s office instead?

A barrage of questions flooded my mind, but the lion wasn’t here to answer them.

Vivi, burning with anger towards the innocent Rune, glanced sideways at Leona.

Her disheveled curly hair and sharply upturned eyes gave the illusion that she was a lion sculpted into a beastkin [a humanoid with animal features].

She seemed to be a mix of Valens’ elegance and Ahin’s arrogance.

Whatever the case, Leona exuded the aura of the next leader of a territory. Even Ezran had no choice but to leave when Leona asked him to.

‘Someone similar to Ahin Grace…’

‘Similar to Ahin Grace…’

Vivi felt faint as Rune’s words echoed in her ears.

Meanwhile, Leona, sitting at her desk, carefully observed the Grace family’s influential rabbit.

Sitting on the sofa, it glared at the air with fiery eyes as if to devour something, then suddenly lowered its head with a dispirited look.

Watching its strange behavior, Leona slowly lowered her gaze to its legs. Contrary to Ezran’s assessment that rabbits were excellent at back kicks, these were the ankles of someone who had never learned martial arts.

‘Well… both the Grace family and this one enjoy playing around. What a hobby.’

Thinking it was all nonsense, she pondered how Vivi had come to be here.

Vivi made excuses, saying she used the passage because she was worried about arriving unannounced, but Rune was definitely behind it.

Leona must have been trying to keep the rabbit’s existence a secret from me. Deciding to generously overlook her sister’s insolence, Leona rested her chin in her hands.

“Was it Rabbit-nim?” [Nim is a Korean honorific suffix.]

“…You can call me Vivi.”

How could she manage to say everything she needed to while trembling like that? Leona’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. Aside from everything else, that rabbit-like face and un-rabbit-like personality were quite charming to a beast-type being.

“Now that things have turned out this way, how about staying here for a week or so to relax? I’d like to treat you.”

As she made the suggestion, Leona recalled Rune, who had been spacing out ever since hearing about Ahin Grace’s wedding. He was chewing on grass like it was steak, and it was common for him to fall from trees while dozing off.

“Or even just three days, if a week is too much.”

Perhaps she could shake things up by introducing Vivi to Rune. The kindness that Ahin Grace would never possess was also one of her strengths. Once the wedding was over, it would be impossible to turn back, so there was no better opportunity than now.

“What do you say?”

Harboring a small hope, Leona smiled meaningfully.

“I appreciate the offer, but…,”

Vivi, who had been watching the unfathomable smile that resembled Ahin’s, parted her lips.

“There are many people waiting for me. They must be very surprised by my sudden disappearance.”

It was a roundabout refusal.

Vivi glanced around and carefully rose to her feet. Even though Leona seemed perfectly fine on the surface, if she was anything like Ahin, it was best to avoid her as much as possible.

“I apologize once again for the rude visit. If I have the opportunity next time, I will visit you formally.”

Vivi politely refused and gave a friendly smile. In response, the corners of Leona’s lips curled up even further.

Hehe, their laughter echoed through the office.

“Is it… is it done?”

Vivi, who had been smiling bashfully, subtly began to retreat.

“Well, then…,”

“Oh dear, I was willing to overlook the intrusion into my office if you had simply granted my earnest request.”

‘This beast, really.’ Vivi’s eyes narrowed. Far from an earnest request, it was more like a threat disguised as a proposal.

“Do you know? If I don’t permit it, the Rabbit [referring to Vivi, likely a nickname or codename] cannot freely enter or exit the mansion. Ahin Grace can’t come here either.”

“…If I were waiting for someone to come get me, I wouldn’t have come through the passage in the first place.”

‘And they might not come at all.’ Suppressing the rising anxiety, Vivi looked directly into Leona’s eyes. The golden eyes held a formidable light, as if they would never let her go easily.

“Then let’s do this. Since the Rabbit insists, if you succeed in leaving this place on your own, I won’t make an issue of the office intrusion.”

“…….”

“But if you fail, you’ll stay here for a week. Even though I may seem like this, I’m a sister who loves her younger sibling. If not now, there might not be another chance.”

‘Chance…?’

Gulp. The sound of Vivi swallowing nervously echoed.

“What exactly is the reason for doing this?”

“Does there necessarily need to be a reason?”

‘I am the owner of this place.’ With a snap of her fingers, armed knights flooded into the office. They were the elite knight order serving the next leader.

Four, five, six. Vivi glanced back at Leona, her eyes taking in the towering figures that cast long shadows. Judging by the caliber of knights assigned, it was clear they had no intention of letting her leave easily.

‘So, she’s similar to Ahin…’ Vivi thought, recognizing the same air of authority.

She’s just like him—an unpredictable force who seems to wield the world with a flick of the wrist.

Vivi shot her a sidelong glare, inching backward cautiously.

Leona, still propped up on her elbow, watched Vivi’s hesitant retreat with amusement.

‘She can’t hide her presence, so her martial arts must be terrible. And according to Rune, her pheromones aren’t the offensive type.’ Leona mused, analyzing Vivi’s weaknesses.

A confident smile spread across Leona’s face. Just as she anticipated Vivi’s surrender, one of the knights suddenly collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.

“What…” Leona began, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Thud, thud. Before Leona could fully react, the remaining knights began to fall like paper dolls, succumbing to an unseen force.

‘Pheromone ability?’ Leona wondered, her mind racing to understand the situation.

Her widened golden eyes trembled, reflecting a mixture of surprise and disbelief, as if caught in an earthquake.

Vivi, now standing alone amidst the fallen six men, glanced back at Leona with a nervous expression.

“…Th-they’re just sleeping, so it’s okay,” Vivi stammered, trying to reassure herself as much as Leona.

As if on cue, one of the knights began to snore loudly, confirming Vivi’s claim.

“I’ll be going now. I trust you’ll keep your promise not to make an issue of this office intrusion.”

“…….”

“Then, goodbye….”

Quietly, and faster than light, Vivi scurried and flung open the office door.

Before a second had even passed since the door slammed shut, it cautiously opened again.

Vivi, having freed the hem of her dress that was caught in the door, fled like the wind, fearing she would be caught.

Tap, tap. Leona couldn’t move until the sound of footsteps disappeared.

Only after a long while did she snap out of it and belatedly cover her nose.

‘That’s an absurd ability.’

Just what was that stimulating pheromone? The fact that it knocked out elite knights in seconds was secondary.

She was starting to respect Ahin Grace’s patience for not swallowing the rabbit whole after smelling that scent. [This is a metaphor for taking advantage of someone vulnerable.]

* * *

“Save me!”

“Don’t let her get away, but you mustn’t injure her!”

“Kheu-heong!” [Sound of a lion roaring.]

A whole bunch, a whole bunch of them.

Terrified, I darted around the mansion’s garden, trying to evade the male lion.

‘There was no mention of a lion chasing me!’

And why is the garden so vast?

‘Where’s the exit?’

The scene that unfolded as soon as I turned around was a group of knights and lions chasing after me with ferocious faces, alongside several knights and lions already asleep. It wouldn’t be far off to describe the path I was running on as turning into a makeshift sleeping area.

*Kururung*— To make matters worse, raindrops began to fall from the sky, one by one.

*Tuk, tuduk.* As I ran, stepping on the increasingly damp ground, I felt a throbbing near my chest.

How did I end up estranged from Ahin, lost in lion territory in the middle of winter, engaging in a battle of wills with the next clan leader, and now being chased by lions in this terrifying mansion?

As my rain-soaked hair drooped, my steps also became heavy. A vague sense of melancholy seemed to be pulling at my ankles.

‘…I mustn’t cry.’

I pulled at the corners of my eyes and shook my head. There would be time enough to lament after escaping this situation.

Spurring myself to run faster, I soon widened my eyes.

‘The exit of the passage is beyond the wall with the family crest. Someone will be waiting there.’

The crest engraved with the Manients family emblem. Upon discovering it, I stepped onto the stairs connected to the wall.

Beyond the wall, there’s a rune.

With that single hope, I climbed up the wall, only to turn pale. It was too dizzyingly high to jump down.

As I stood there blankly, looking out, a rough voice came from behind me.

“My dear, little rabbit!”

Who are you calling a little rabbit? As I glared and turned my head, I saw Elder Ezran standing in the garden.

“Don’t do anything dangerous and come down! If you get even a scratch, that old codger Lilian will throw a fit!” [Lilian is likely a respected elder or family member.]

“Grandfather…”

“I will safely get you out of here. I swear it on my honor as Ezran! Come here, quickly!”

Elder Ezran shouted earnestly, pounding his chest as if making a solemn vow.

He says he’ll send me back… Well, I didn’t really have a reason to resist, so I cautiously stepped towards the stairs.

“Bibi!”

At that moment, a voice I could never mistake pierced through the rain.

* * *

The sky was completely covered with dark clouds, and rain began to fall steadily.

Standing in front of the waiting carriage, Rune pulled his hood down low.

“It’s too late…”

Even though it was already past the time she should have emerged from the passage, there was still no sign of Bibi.

“Noona, why isn’t Bibi coming?”

“That’s right, she’s usually the quickest…”

Shu and Bion, who had arrived earlier, also repeatedly sat down and stood up, worried about Bibi.

Standing beside them, Restin abruptly turned around with a desperate look on his face. Of course, there was nothing behind him.

“Restin, is there something behind you?”

“I’ve had a strange chill down my spine since a little while ago…”

Restin, on edge, repeatedly checked behind him.

“How sensitive.”

“I’m not joking. I get this ominous feeling every time right before I run into Lady Evelyn!”

Restin thumped his chest in frustration.

“Unless she’s flying, she’ll arrive around evening.”

“But Lady Evelyn is always appearing and disappearing like a ghost.”

“At this point, it’s not hate, it’s love.”

Rune, leaving Restin who was chanting Evelyn’s name like a mantra, stared silently at the passage.

It wasn’t a long passage, and even if you took the wrong path at the fork, it was structured so you could quickly turn back.

‘-Why?’

Should he send the black panthers back in to check? Rune, who was stroking his chin with his thumb, suddenly turned sharply to Restin.

“Restin. Didn’t Noona [older sister, used affectionately] say the day before yesterday that she was temporarily moving her office?”

“Ah, yes. She said there was a problem with the fireplace.”

“…To where?”

“To the empty room next to the study on the first floor. Oh!”

Restin, who had been answering mechanically, screamed and covered his mouth. The empty room next to the study was the place connected to the passage when you took the wrong path.

Could it be that Bibi went to Leona…

The days they had been beaten by Leona’s mace-like fists flashed before their eyes like a revolving lantern [a quickly changing series of images, like a slideshow].”

With trembling eyes, they looked at each other and rushed to the carriage as if they had planned it. They needed to get inside the mansion immediately.

‘Damn it.’

Rune hurriedly began to untie the horse’s reins connected to the carriage.

Why was it that something that usually came undone so easily being so troublesome at a time like this? He was so anxious that he didn’t even realize his hood had fallen off and he was getting rained on.

Having cursed, Rune was in the middle of untying the reins when Restin suddenly started jumping up and down.

“Look, Master Rune! Wasn’t I right!”

“Stop talking nonsense and help me with this.”

“He’s coming, he’s coming, I’m telling you, he’s coming!”

“What on earth is coming—”

“A, a crazy person is coming!”

Restin took a step back, unaware that he had uttered terribly disrespectful words. Rune, belatedly noticing the tremendous murderous intent, turned his head in the opposite direction.

At the end of his gaze, a figure was walking towards them, a long sword drawn and gleaming sharply in the rain.

‘Ahin Grace.’

Shu and Vion, sensitive to murderous intent, had long since fled to Evelyn’s side, hiding far away.

Rune slowly let go of the reins and swept his wet hair back.

‘He’s here too early.’

It was an impossible arrival time unless he happened to be near the Lion’s territory.

Above all, the biggest problem was that, perhaps because of the dim rain, or perhaps because of his crimson eyes, Ahin’s gaze seemed even more deranged.

‘He’s gone mad.’

Facing the murderous intent, Rune had a premonition that he might actually die.

The vivid gaze fixed precisely on his neck, the domineering pheromones enveloping his entire body. Especially the red eyes, revealed between the wet silver hair, gleamed with murderous intent.

Splash, splash, the distance between the two gradually closed.

Just as Rune was contemplating how to respond, the sword Ahin was holding clattered to the ground. It was an anticlimactic mistake, considering how fiercely he had been walking.

Rune glanced at the fallen sword and then met Ahin’s gaze again, but Ahin wasn’t looking at him.

“……?”

Rune followed his gaze and widened his eyes. Bibi, who should have been in the passage, was standing on the wall with her fist raised.

* * *

With a scowl, I sternly warned the knights who had followed me.

“D, don’t come any closer. I might put you to sleep.”

You’ll get a taste of my very hot fist, too. I brandished a threatening fist, and the knights’ shoulders stiffened. There seemed to be too many of their comrades muttering in their sleep in the garden for them to dismiss my warning as nonsense.

I glared fiercely at them and peeked my head outside. Only Ahin was clearly visible in the blurry rain.

‘What….’

I bit my lip, my eyes drooping.

I didn’t think he would come.

He had been so cold before, but now he’s looking up at me with such a pale face. It’s too unfair.

He couldn’t take his eyes off me, and he was frantically throwing off his robe and insignia.

“Don’t move, just wait. I’ll come down right away.”

“Ahin.”

I cut off Ahin’s words and parted my lips several times, searching for the right thing to say.

Should I thank him for coming to get me, or should I scold him for being so late? Should I ask him why he’s doing this now when he was avoiding me before? It was such a confusing mix of emotions, and I couldn’t find the right words to express any of them.

In the end, I couldn’t come up with anything and cautiously asked, “Can I come down now?”

Despite my loaded question, Ahin didn’t respond. He just stared blankly up at me, his face looking like he’d been struck by a hammer.

After blinking for a moment, he stretched out his arms towards me.

“Why wouldn’t you be able to?”

“…….”

“Don’t ask me that.”

I don’t know why his confident, low voice made my chest flutter so intensely.

I bit my lip and quickly turned my head towards the presence I felt beside me. The sneaky knights were already trying to get closer.

A lion trying to catch a rabbit [an idiom meaning using excessive force for a small task]. I grabbed the hem of my cumbersome clothes and nodded my chin towards Ahin. It was the signal for Bibi to jump.

The moment his eyes widened, I kicked off the wall and jumped down.

“Oh my God.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, and conversely, all my senses heightened. My body, which had been resisting the wind as I fell, landed with a thud in someone’s arms.

The joy of finally escaping the lion’s den was fleeting. As soon as I opened my eyes, Ahin’s face, which had felt so distant, was right in front of me. His skin, usually so vibrant, was quite pale, as if he’d been caught in the rain.

“Why were you in a place like that? You could have just waited a little longer.”

“…I was worried you wouldn’t come for me.”

I replied softly and immediately steadied myself on the ground, stepping away from Ahin. If I didn’t, I felt like I would burst into tears again.

The reason I struggled so desperately to leave the mansion was also due to the anxiety that Ahin wouldn’t come. I figured it would be much better to leave on my own than to wait anxiously, trapped like a bird in a gilded cage.

“Ahin, let’s go back.”

As I kept my forehead pressed against his chest, a large hand firmly pressed down on the back of my head. Ahin, who was holding me as if imprisoning me, kept ruffling my hair. It was an urgent touch, as if confirming my existence, making sure I was real.

“-Sorry.”

Cold lips brushed against my wet hair.

Wasn’t using his lips to apologize in a moment like this even more unfair than before? I didn’t voice such complaints, but instead burrowed deeper into Ahin’s arms and rubbed my forehead against him.

“I’m sorry.”

Ahin bent down to match my height, embracing me tightly as he whispered again.

“Sorry…”

The hand stroking the back of my head trembled slightly.

It was an apology without any excuses, but the suppressed emotion in his voice, which I was hearing for the first time, was enough. It spoke volumes.

Having released some of my pent-up frustration, I let out a deep sigh. The warmth I felt even in the rain brought an indescribable sense of relief.

* * *

The sky had seemed torn open by the downpour, but now a clear night had arrived, the stars visible in their brilliance.

Rune, watching the Grace family’s carriage depart, leaned against the mansion wall.

Until the moment she jumped into the carriage, Bibi’s gaze never once met Rune’s.

‘Pathetic.’

Seeing the two of them so engrossed with each other wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Rune, indirectly rejected yet again, chuckled humorlessly and spoke.

“Sister, there’s no use in forcibly holding Bibi back.”

“It seems you’re right this time.”

Leona, who had approached unnoticed, clasped her hands behind her back.

“I thought Ahin Grace wasn’t someone a little rabbit could handle, so there might have been a chance for us.”

“I thought so too, at first.”

Rune muttered listlessly, stretching languidly against the wall.

Leona glanced at his unusually lifeless demeanor and let out a hollow laugh. She had expected Ahin Grace to put up more of a fight, to cause a bigger scene, but she was still dumbfounded by how easily he had backed down at the rabbit’s word to return.

“I never thought I’d see that unlucky black panther groveling like that in my life.”

Such a huge, powerful guy just meekly following a tiny rabbit around. And to top it off, wrapping the rabbit in his cloak and personally ensuring their comfort.

The shocking scene continued to replay in Leona’s head.

“It’s a problem, a real problem. These days, everyone in the Grace manor just fawns over that rabbit.”

Evelyn suddenly interjected, cutting into the conversation. Leona, startled, frowned openly.

“Why haven’t you left yet? What are you still doing here?”

“You’ve forgotten about me, haven’t you? It seems I’ve been erased from everyone’s memories,” Evelyn said, her face surprisingly calm for someone claiming to be abandoned. Leona, studying her serious expression, touched her chin thoughtfully.

“…I’ve been thinking…”

“Yes?”

“It seems that rabbit’s power is too much for the Grace family to handle.”

It was an absurdly potent ability.

The power to subdue dozens of elite knights without even lifting a finger was comparable to the influence of a leading family. In fact, she might become an outstanding asset for the Grace family in the future.

“That’s right. That rabbit is someone who will shake the continent with its forepaws.”

“…That makes sense.”

Leona, realizing it wasn’t just a joke, nodded seriously.

“She might be a descendant of a hero.”

“Indeed. But aren’t you supposed to be leaving?”

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to let go of my collar for me to leave.”

“Ah, I did it again without thinking.”

Ignoring the chattering pair, Rune crouched down smoothly. The rabbit Restin had brought hopped over to his side.

“This first love is quite long,” he muttered.

Rune lightly tickled the rabbit’s cheek with his index finger.

“I think I’m destined to be alone forever.”

The rabbit stood on its hind legs, as if to say it was there for him, and placed its front paws on his leg.

“Okay, let’s live together forever, just the two of us.”

Rune, with a desolate smile, looked up at Restin, who stood quietly beside him.

“What’s the lifespan of a rabbit?”

“I believe it’s shorter than a lion’s.”

“…I see.”

Rune sighed and suddenly recalled something Bibi had mumbled a long time ago. Holding Ash’s cheeks, who was just tilting his head blankly, she had said,

‘Live a long life.’

‘Bibi, what’s that all about?’

‘Someone told me that animals live longer and happier lives the more they hear good things. So, I’m just saying it every day like a spell.’

*I wonder if that really works.* Rune, staring blankly into the air, gently stroked the rabbit’s lower jaw. A tender smile appeared on his lips.

“Live a long life.”

*Live long and happily, without getting sick.*

The carriage that left the Manients estate turned its wheels in the direction of the Black Panther territory.

Almost buried in my cloak, I stared out the window as evening fell. The heavy rain was gradually thinning.

‘Is the rain going to stop…?’

I took my eyes off the window and glanced upwards. A drop of water from Ahin’s wet hair landed right on my eye.

Wiping it away with the edge of my cloak, I just rolled my eyes. Mayme, who should have been with Lil driving the carriage, was nowhere to be seen.

“…Ahin, where’s Mayme?”

“I sent her back to Grace Manor with Jane. We need to let Mother know, just in case.”

Just in case of what? I couldn’t bring myself to ask and quietly shut my mouth.

It was obvious without hearing it. Just looking at Ahin’s earlier momentum, I could tell he was planning to storm into the Manients mansion single-handedly.

‘Maybe it was a good thing I jumped off the wall and met Ahin.’

It was no different from avoiding a crisis where a rabbit’s back would have been crushed in the conflict between a black panther and a lion.

I shivered from a belated chill, and Ahin immediately asked,

“Are you cold?”

“No, not really.”

I answered awkwardly and subtly avoided his gaze.

It’s suffocating, but how could I be cold when he’s holding me so tightly wrapped up like this? He avoided even my hand before, but now our bodies are pressed together far too closely.

As I subtly twisted my body, trying to create a little space between us, my expression suddenly hardened. Shu and Vion, huddled in the corner of the carriage, were glancing at us with narrowed eyes, looking quite displeased.

‘Even these clueless black panthers must find our situation amusing.’

Feeling unnecessarily awkward, I spoke again.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“I was wondering how long we’ll be like this…”

“Until we reach the mansion. You might catch a cold otherwise.”

‘I see.’ Unable to find a counterargument, I nodded in agreement. Truthfully, Ahin’s embrace, which I hadn’t felt in a while, wasn’t so bad. It was… comforting, in a strange way.

Thump. I slowly leaned my head against his chest, and I could feel his body stiffen. A slight intake of breath was the only indication he noticed.

The inside of the carriage fell silent. The only sound was the rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels on the road.

After blinking for a moment, gathering my courage, I broke the silence with a question that had been nagging at me.

“…Ahin.”

“What?”

“You know… do you perhaps feel uncomfortable with me?”

Ahin didn’t respond for a long time. The silence stretched, thick with unspoken words. As I waited, anxiety gnawing at me, I could sense Ahin also hesitated, opening and closing his lips as if searching for the right words.

Suddenly afraid to hear the answer, I pulled the hood of my cloak further down, trying to hide my face. The fluffy fur trimming the hood completely obscured my face, creating a small, private world.

“-Bibby called me crazy last time.”

Suddenly, a seemingly unrelated remark came out of nowhere.

“I’ve lived my life as I pleased, but as I lived, I realized there are things that don’t always go my way.”

“……”

“It’s always been like that when it comes to you.”

Slowly, Ahin lowered the hood of my cloak, his movements gentle.

“Sorry for making you anxious.”

His large hand slowly tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, the touch feather-light.

Then, Ahin brushed a kiss across my palm, a fleeting gesture accompanied by a faint smile. It was a fragmented smile, like a shattered piece of glass catching the light.

Should I say that even though he was smiling, it didn’t quite reach his eyes?

As I stared blankly, he unusually avoided my gaze. I was always the one to look away first, breaking eye contact.

“I didn’t avoid Bibby on purpose. It’s just,”

“…Just what?”

“Sorry, it’s the kind of thing that’s hard to say right now.”

Lowering his gaze, Ahin carefully caressed my hand as if handling something fragile, something that might disappear with a touch.

“I thought we could share everything without hiding anything, but sometimes that’s not the case. Just like how Bibby doesn’t tell me the reason she’s trying to visit the Academy.”

‘He knew?’

This beast is incredibly quick-witted. I tried not to show any surprise, but I couldn’t help but let my mouth fall open slightly.

The thought that his dominant pheromones might affect our future child… It wasn’t something easily said. Maybe Ahin had something he found difficult to tell me, just like this.

Sweat beaded on my forehead, and a thought flashed through my mind.

‘So, whether it’s a seizure or whatever, don’t try to distance yourself from me.’

I remembered Ahin subtly avoiding me when his dominant pheromones had flared up before. My eyes narrowed, and I grabbed his collar with both hands.

“Don’t tell me you’re having another pheromone surge,”

“It’s not that. I swear on the rabbit’s liver.”

Ahin lightly raised both arms in a gesture of surrender.

“Why are you suddenly betting your liver? If you’re betting, you should bet your own!”

“My liver is Bibby, and Bibby’s liver is mine. So, I’m betting the rabbit’s liver.”

It sounded like nonsense, but somehow I was convinced, like watching a snake slither over a wall [an idiom for being subtly persuaded], and I gaped.

“…You’re really not hurting, are you?”

“I’m betting the rabbit’s liver, I tell you.”

While I was distracted, Ahin subtly freed his collar from my grip and turned me around to hug me.

I want to see your face. Forced to sit with my back against his chest, I frowned unhappily.

“I’ll make sure I can tell you properly before this winter is over.”

Ahin whispered in a low voice, burying his chin in my hair.

Well, the generous Bibby-nim [a respectful title] has no choice but to wait.

“But don’t avoid me too much.”

“Yeah, I won’t. I can’t have you rampaging through the Lion’s territory again.”

As soon as I finished speaking, a prompt and agreeable answer came back.

‘Easy for you to say, you spent almost a month running away from me.’

My resolve to wait for him was separate from the resentment I still harbored from the past.

If that’s the case… I shook off his arms from around my waist and pushed Ahin away in an instant. With a thud, he was suddenly pressed against the carriage wall, his eyes widening in surprise.

I slowly approached him, closing the distance until our breaths mingled.

“You’re really not avoiding me…?”

“I’m not avoiding you.”

As soon as Ahin finished speaking, our lips brushed lightly and then parted. Immediately after, I felt a wave of insecurity wash over me and I nervously fiddled with the decorations on his clothes for no reason.

“Even like this?”

“…How am I supposed to avoid this?”

Ahin let out a genuinely dumbfounded sigh, as if he was truly taken aback by my actions. That reaction gave me a sliver of courage, and I leaned in to kiss him again.

It was definitely me who initiated it. Before I realized what was happening, he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. It was a dizzying, breathless encounter.

Just as his eager hand began to press against the back of my neck, I abruptly pulled my lips away without warning.

“-Why.”

His husky voice and half-lidded, reddened eyes would have stirred the hearts of many rabbits [referring to those susceptible to his charms]. But with an indomitable will, I shook off the temptation, straightened myself up, and returned Ahin to his original position.

“What…”

Following that, I busily moved and leaned back against him, resuming our previous position.

“For the time being, I’ll only let you touch me when I want to be touched.”

A heavy silence descended.

Perhaps realizing he’d been subjected to a petty act of revenge, Ahin let out a hollow laugh that still held a trace of warmth.

“Just punish me by making me crawl at your feet instead.”

“But that’s what you like, isn’t it?”

“What do I have to do?”

“What do you mean, ‘what do you do?’ It means you have to be swayed by me.”

Ahin, who had started to protest, quickly became docile. It seemed the fact that he was being manipulated by me was, in itself, thrilling to him.

‘What a psycho…’

Relaxing against Ahin, I muttered softly.

“It’s not like I didn’t tell you the reason I’m going to the academy on purpose. That, later…”

“Bibi.”

“Huh?”

“You can tell me when you’re ready.”

“You know what I’m talking about?”

“Aren’t you going to tell me someday? It’s okay as long as you don’t cheat on me.”

For a moment, the word ‘cheat’ received a pointed emphasis. I pretended not to notice and continued, speaking as if he hadn’t said anything.

“Actually, I thought the reason Ahin was avoiding me was that he was tired of me, or… something along those lines.”

“That’s impossible. I’d rather die than get tired of you.”

‘Why are you jumping to such extreme conclusions out of nowhere?’ I thought, a little bewildered by his intensity.

Exasperated, I quickly tilted my head up and saw his face, beautiful even slick with rain. Moreover, his red lips seemed even more vibrant against his paler-than-usual skin.

‘Is it even possible for a person to look like that?’ I wondered, momentarily distracted.

Thinking his face was almost too perfect, I narrowed my eyes slightly.

“Why are you glaring at me all of a sudden?”

“I wasn’t…”

I couldn’t shake the prejudice that predators are generally beautiful to lure their prey. It was a dangerous advantage.

Ahin, who had also been squinting at me, suddenly stretched my cheeks out on both sides, his fingers cool against my skin.

“Rather, I was worried that Bibi might abandon me and go to the Lion’s territory [referring to a rival or someone of higher status].”

With my cheeks stretched horizontally, making it difficult to speak clearly, I asked cautiously.

“…What would you have done if that were really the case?”

“Just a little.”

“Just a little?” I repeated, trying to imagine what ‘just a little’ meant coming from him.

“I might have gone crazy.”

Catching a glimpse of the chilling glint in his red eyes, I fixed my gaze forward, still as a statue.

“I see…”

“Indeed.”

The gentle, languid tone was just a smokescreen.

‘Indeed, my foot.’ I thought, unimpressed by his act.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if an already insane beast went even more insane. The thought was terrifying.

I chuckled hollowly, then suddenly felt a strange emptiness, as if I’d lost a chattering parrot from beside my ear. The usual noise was gone.

Shua and Bion were tired and, like Ash, were making ‘kwaang’ noises in their sleep. Ril was sitting on the driver’s seat, looking bored.

My eyes darted around, and I quickly covered my mouth, a blank expression on my face. The second crazy one was missing.

“Ahin, we seem to have left Iblin behind!”

“I know.”

“You know?” I asked, surprised.

Ahin answered nonchalantly, rubbing his chin against my head. “As soon as we invaded the Lion’s territory [referring to the territory of a rival or someone of higher status], she hid, leaving only me behind. I thought she was giving us space to reconcile with Bibi, so I left her there.”

More likely, she ran away because it seemed dangerous. It was clear that he had deliberately left Iblin in the Lion’s territory out of spite.

Speechless, I pushed Ahin’s cheek away and pressed myself against the carriage window.

Thump, thump. The Lion’s territory, where Iblin was left behind, rapidly receded into the distance.

“I wonder if she can make it back on her own?”

“I’ve always come back alone,” Ahin said matter-of-factly.

“Even so…”

“She’ll probably ride a lion back. Hurry up and come here; you’ll catch a cold if you stay wet.”

I was pulled back into Ahin’s arms.

They usually got along perfectly when chatting, but in a crisis, they were quicker than anyone to abandon each other. It was a truly incomprehensible master-servant relationship.

* * *

The Grace Family

“What is this monstrosity!”

“Chef, Chef! What’s wrong?”

“Which idiot made this hybrid cake! Who put a rabbit’s head on a black panther’s body!”

“That’s… it’s a cake sample for the Rabbit’s graduation banquet, and Iblin specially ordered it…”

Early in the morning, a bird’s beak appeared and disappeared like lightning in a corner of the bustling kitchen.

Today, Quinn, who stole strawberries from the chaotic kitchen, flew across the Grace mansion’s sky.

“Thank you for the ride,” Iblin said, hopping off the lion.

From Quinn’s vantage point, Iblin, riding a male lion, returned home. Unlike her usual neat appearance, she looked particularly haggard.

“Thanks to you, I arrived safely. As a token of my gratitude, I’d like to treat you to some meat… I don’t mean I’m going to offer you my hand.”

Iblin, who was attempting to shake the lion’s paw, ended up getting her hand nipped instead.

‘Why is her hair sticking up like that again?’

Clicking his tongue, Quinn looked away and flew towards Valence’s office.

“Good work.”

Flap, flap. The moment Quinn landed on the windowsill, Valence promptly handed him a box of strawberry pie. It was the reward for his mission: secretly delivering the rabbit portraits, drawn by the painter, to Ahin.

“Father sneakily took my share. At first, he was so shocked to see a rabbit reading a book that he nearly fainted… You never know what might happen in this world.”

The exchange of a replica of the rabbit-reading-a-book portrait for the finest strawberry pie was conducted with more solemnity than exchanging classified documents.

Just as Quinn, who picked up the box, was about to fly away,

“The mansion has been relatively quiet lately.”

Valence tapped on the windowsill, holding him back.

“The number of secret messages for you to deliver has also decreased significantly. Perhaps that’s why you seem bored these days.”

Quinn, who stopped flapping his wings, turned to Valence with a slightly embarrassed expression. Like Ahin, he possessed an excellent sense of perception, as if they were blood relatives.

“Spending your time sitting in a tree must be quite a hardship for you.”

Valence, standing by the window, smiled strangely and reached his hand out. The cold winter wind brushed through his fingers.

“It’s been almost ten years since you’ve stayed in this mansion, which is quite a long time for a bird beastkin [a human with bird-like features] who dislikes being tied down, isn’t it?”

Quinn, who didn’t react in particular, fiddled with the pie box for no reason. He felt uncomfortable with Valence, who spoke as if he could see right through his inner thoughts.

“If you ever decide to leave, please visit me once. I’ll give you whatever you want. I’d like to repay you for moving the rabbit to the pig’s territory before.”

Instead of replying, Quinn nodded slightly and soared high into the sky.

‘-Time to leave, huh.’

He flew across the sky, repeating Valence’s words.

Indeed. Lately, he had often thought about flying across the continent.

‘It’s almost been ten years, just like Head Valence said.’

He first met Ahin when he was a pretty boy. Of course, even back then, he was an arrogant human who made you want to kick him in the shins.

‘I saved his life, but there’s no repayment? Ivelyn said birds repay favors.’

‘Repay?’

‘-Like taking care of someone. It just so happens I needed a messenger bird… um, for about five years?’

‘You little cat, when did I ask you to save me?’

‘Not a cat, a black panther. Your words hurt my feelings so much, I’m extending the care period to ten years.’

The ten years he promised Ahin right after being saved from near death by Bara was also coming to an end. Moreover, once Vivi fully returned to the mansion, there would be no need to go back and forth to the academy.

‘Is it about time to leave here too?’

Just before falling into thought, Quinn hid the pie box from Ash, who was constantly eyeing the strawberries.

With a flutter, Quinn, perfectly concealed, flew around the mansion.

Since when was it?

The Grace mansion, which had once seemed somewhat desolate, was now filled with vibrant colors without anyone realizing it. The employees’ faces were brighter, and the black panthers, initially raised out of necessity, had risen in status to the point where they now eyed Quinn’s strawberries with longing.

All of this was due to Ahin, who had transformed from a dangerous madman into a mild oddball—specifically for Vivi. It all started with the appearance of that scruffy little rabbit in the basket.

Now, Quinn couldn’t help but chuckle whenever he saw a basket, thinking of the rabbit who got angry at the sight of it. The way it stamped its foot on the floor was truly tyrannical.

*Swish*—As he naturally flew towards the indoor greenhouse, he frowned as soon as he spotted Vivi.

‘That is…’

He had heard that Ahin and Vivi were on awkward terms recently. Had they made up already? The romantic rabbit, holding a tattered bouquet, was walking energetically.

Unbeknownst to her, Ahin was smiling brightly not because he liked flowers, but because it was Vivi who was offering them. She still firmly believed that Ahin loved flowers.

Feeling unnecessarily worried, Quinn slowly flew along the path Vivi was taking.

‘That frustrating thing.’

He felt frustrated whenever Vivi did dangerous things, unaware of how crazy Ahin Grace was about her.

That human would be overjoyed even if she just kicked him instead of going through the trouble of giving him flowers.

Quinn, who was following Vivi as she walked into the fire [metaphorically, into a potentially dangerous situation], paused. Vivi had stopped briefly and tilted her head to look up at him.

“Quinn!”

Vivi smiled brightly and took a flower from the bouquet, dangling it. It was meant as a gift.

Quinn, who had no use for gifts other than strawberries, snorted dismissively.

“Always so cold. I’ll just leave it here.”

Vivi grumbled and started walking on her way again.

Quinn, who was naturally following behind, glanced down at Vivi’s feet. He realized he’d been unconsciously following in her footsteps for a while now.

It started with simply monitoring the baby rabbit Ahin had picked up.

On nights when everyone else was away, the baby rabbit would always sit on the terrace, gazing up at the moon. It was a subtle display of her longing for freedom.

Quinn quite enjoyed those moments when they occasionally admired the moon together.

She would also practice every day, throwing cotton balls into the air to hone her powers, and she would unfold maps, yearning for the world she hadn’t yet experienced. Then, when the rabbit, who had transformed into a human, boldly opened the door herself and took her first step outside, he had even felt a surge of joy.

Moreover, during the year and a half after leaving the Grace family, and the few years spent attending the academy, the rabbit had been constantly striving and improving, subduing numerous beasts.

Looking back, Quinn had spent more time with Vivi than Ahin even knew.

“Ahin!”

Quinn’s thoughts were interrupted by Ahin’s arrival.

Vivi, who had been hiding the bouquet behind her back, circled around Ahin, peeking at him.

“Vivi, why are you out here in the cold? Let’s go inside first,” Ahin said, concerned.

“Look at this!”

The romantic rabbit finally presented the somewhat tattered bouquet she had been hiding.

Quinn, perched on a nearby tall tree, waited for Ahin’s insincere praise, expecting him to say it was the most beautiful bouquet he had ever seen. Contrary to his expectations, Ahin, upon receiving the bouquet, frowned noticeably.

“This bouquet looks a bit… strange?”

‘Is that black panther crazy?’ Quinn thought, surprised by Ahin’s blatant criticism. He covered his beak with his wing, stifling a laugh.

However, Vivi subtly wiggled her heels, not showing any sign of displeasure.

“Look at the shape closely.”

Following the instruction, Ahin deeply observed the bouquet and murmured,

“-Peach?”

“Wrong.”

“Butt?”

“No, how is that a butt? Anyone can see it’s a heart!”

Quinn, who had been tense, sighed in relief. No wonder the bouquet looked messier than usual today. It was all thanks to the effort of carving out the shape.

“I didn’t understand Vivi’s deep intentions.”

“It’s okay, you can be wrong.”

Quinn, who was sneering, noticed Ahin’s lips twitching slightly. It seemed he was about to collapse with joy from just a heart-shaped bouquet.

“Just a moment.”

As a finishing touch, Vivi began to tie Ahin’s wrist with the ribbon left over from making the bouquet.

From that point on, Quinn wondered if Ahin’s reason had snapped.

“Is kidnapping next after the bouquet?”

Ahin, who was willingly tied, languidly folded his eyes.

“We haven’t been able to have meals together lately. I’m scheduled to leave for the academy this afternoon, so you must have lunch with me today.”

“Ah, so I’m the lunch menu.”

“…Right, I will… Huh?”

“Beast-like bunny.”

And so, the bunny was dragged away by a predator who had lost all patience, even in broad daylight.

‘I knew it would come to this,’ Quinn thought, watching the predictable ending. He suddenly recalled what Vivi had told him after the wedding date was set.

‘Quinn, if a bunny beastkin [a human with rabbit-like features] is ever born later… could you take it to the bunny territory with me? Maybe in a basket or something.’

‘I want to show them what the bunny territory is like.’

‘I think if Ahin or Meymay go to the city, people will just run away.’

‘Even birds of prey are less scary,’ Vivi shrugged, joking.

‘There’s still work to be done before leaving.’

He also wanted to support the life of a bunny living in the territory of a beast a little more.

Quinn, who had put off leaving for now, snatched a flower that Vivi had left for him.

Whether it was the Grace family or the bunny, he seemed to have grown attached to them more than he could shake off.

* * *

I sat down in front of Ash, who had come to see me off with my backpack in the carriage.

“Ash, this is really the last time I’m going. Let’s stick together every day after graduation.”

Ash, not understanding what I was saying, gave a strong salute with his front paw. I saluted along, feeling a strange emptiness as I looked around.

“Where are Bara, Schu, and Vion?”

“The Forest of Boundary. It seems Bara will start teaching hunting soon.”

Ahin, leaning against the carriage, answered instead.

“I told you I could take you in two days. Do you really have to go today?”

His voice was filled with obvious displeasure.

“If Ahin and I go together, the academy will be turned upside down.”

“It’ll all be revealed after graduation anyway.”

“It’s better to keep it under wraps until the graduation ceremony, if possible. My grandfather is busy preparing for the ceremony, so I don’t want to add to the gossip.”

I glanced at Ahin, who looked displeased, and slowly sidestepped away.

‘Dangerous…’

How could he misinterpret a simple meal invitation like that? He wore me out since midday, and I didn’t appreciate that he was perfectly fine while I was exhausted.

With my cheeks flushed, I practically dove into the carriage. I hurriedly tried to slam the door shut, but—

“Vivi, are you really not coming back until the graduation ceremony?”

Sadly, Ahin was faster, blocking the door with his foot.

“There are only a few days left, and I’m still writing my graduation speech.”

“It seems your mother will be coming to the graduation ceremony.”

“Yes, I invited her. There’s no need to keep it a secret until then.”

Bang, thud. Bang, thud. Even while we were calmly talking, the struggle to open and close the door continued.

“Why do I hate to see you go so much?”

Ahin, having finally gotten his way, fully opened the carriage door and chuckled softly.

“Be careful. If you stray off the path like yesterday, I’ll put you in my pocket.”

“Hmph, I don’t fit in there anymore, you know?”

“I’ll just have one custom-made for a big rabbit, then.”

Seriously. I glared at him, then glanced around at the noticeably increased number of escort knights. It was impossible to stray off the path with so many of them around.

Ahin carefully fastened my cloak and then reached for the doorknob.

“I’ll close the door now.”

“Ahin, wait a moment.”

I quickly stopped him and rummaged through the bag I had placed on the chair.

Where did I put it? After a bit of searching, I finally grabbed a small glass bottle.

“This.”

I took out the glass bottle and abruptly held it out to him. Ahin received it, blinking in bewilderment, his eyes silently asking for an explanation.

“Well, I made this during the potion-making class…”

Hesitating, I continued, feeling a bit shy. “…I tried making a potion that helps us understand each other better.”

“That’s… rather abstract. Is it a sample?”

“Ugh. It won’t have any effect anyway, so you can keep it as a memento—why are you drinking it?”

Before I could even finish explaining, Ahin had already downed the potion.

“You said it would help me understand Vivi better.”

Does this beast have no tomorrow? Horrified, I leaped out of the carriage and grabbed Ahin.

“A, are you okay?”

Contrary to my worries, Ahin shrugged, looking perfectly fine. Still not trusting it, I quickly channeled healing pheromones into his body.

“Vivi, potions made during class are basically useless.”

“But…”

Ahin effortlessly lifted me and placed me back in the carriage.

“It must have been Professor Kallen’s class, from the raccoon tribe.”

“That’s right, how did you know?”

“I know these things. Anyway, the effects of raccoon tribe medicine disappear after a while, so it’s a waste, especially since Vivi gave it to me. Didn’t they explain that?”

Explanation? Restless, I wriggled, recalling Professor Kallen’s lecture.

‘The potions you students make are about as effective as nutritional supplements, so feel free to give them to acquaintances. It’s fine to exchange them among yourselves, too.’

Belatedly remembering the lecture, I sighed in relief, patting my chest.

Seriously, you nearly gave me a heart attack.

I glared at him with narrowed eyes, and Ahin, smiling like the sunlight, gently kissed my forehead.

“Then, see you at the graduation ceremony.”

* * *

Perhaps still feeling the effects of the potion, Vivi leaned out of the carriage window, glaring at Ahin until they were completely out of sight.

Ahin waved until the carriage disappeared, then checked his pocket watch.

He had a tailor appointment in the late afternoon for a fitting of his formal wedding attire. Tomorrow, he was scheduled to meet with the Perenium ring [a rare and valuable metal] jeweler.

His schedule was tight if he wanted to clear it completely by Vivi’s graduation day.

“Ash.”

Ahin turned to see Ash still sitting, facing the direction the carriage had gone.

“Ash, come inside now.”

For a moment, Ash’s figure flickered like a mirage, and he gripped his head.

‘What…’

Remaining still, his vision cleared shortly after. He’d experienced a slight dizzy spell.

However, there was an oddly unfamiliar sensation in his vision. It was as if the world had grown larger.

Tapot, tapot [sound of paws]. Unable to shake off the unsettling feeling, Ahin watched Ash approach.

His gaze slowly traveled up, stopping at Ash’s forepaws, long legs, majestic jaw, and finally, the glinting yellow eyes.

Only then did Ahin realize the source of his unease, and his expression rapidly hardened. Ash was now about five times larger than before.

‘-What is this.’

Ahin’s pupils trembled as he looked up at the distracted Ash, more shaken than ever before.

A soft fabric brushed against his foot as he reflexively stepped back. It was the clothing Ahin had been wearing just moments ago.

‘Did I take off my clothes? I don’t particularly enjoy undressing outside,’ he thought, a hint of bewilderment coloring his thoughts.

He reached out to pick up the discarded clothes, entertaining ridiculous thoughts. However, a forepaw appeared from nowhere, sliding over the fabric.

‘…A forepaw?’

Ahin stared blankly at the black fluff before flipping his hand over. Soon, he saw a paw pad consisting of large and small circles.

‘……?’

A paw pad instead of a palm?

He groped around, rubbing his body, but all he felt was fur, fur, fur… that was all. A wave of panic began to rise within him.

Feeling uncharacteristically dizzy, he looked around at the mansion, the nearby trees, and then at Ash. It wasn’t long before he had to face the harsh reality.

The world hadn’t grown bigger. He had simply become smaller.

Though he couldn’t confirm it in detail, he had undoubtedly turned into something like a baby black panther.

‘I made a potion to help you understand each other better.’

‘A potion to help you understand each other better…’ Vivi’s shy voice echoed in his mind like an auditory hallucination.

‘Did that mean you wanted me to shrink too?’ he wondered, a sense of disbelief washing over him.

Ahin repeatedly flipped his paws over, then attempted to manipulate his pheromones, just in case. Fortunately, his dominant pheromones were still functional, but strangely, his body refused to return to its human form.

Should I just faint? A dark shadow fell over Ahin, who was seriously contemplating it. It was Ash, his eyes half-closed.

With a somewhat smug expression, Ash began to nudge Ahin with his front paw. He didn’t know what had happened, but this was the perfect opportunity to get revenge on the old master who always stole Vivi away.

You bad guy, you thief. Ash, more elated than ever, pushed Ahin around.

‘Stop it, Ash.’

Ahin, rolling around due to the power imbalance, was lost in thought.

If he used his pheromones to retaliate, Vivi would back Ash. If he kept rolling, this was the first time he’d ever been so humiliated.

Thud. Ahin, unable to attack Vivi’s closest confidant, eventually collapsed.

‘Damn it.’

Crawling on all fours, a tattered mess, he felt despair. To make matters worse, Bara, who had returned from the Forest of Boundary [a dangerous, monster-filled region], was running towards them with a surprised expression.

“Ash…?”

Bara, arriving before them, looked back and forth between Ash and the baby black panther in bewilderment.

When did we have another cub besides Shu and Bion? She couldn’t remember anything, as if she had amnesia.

Besides, Ash wasn’t the type to lovingly care for another black panther’s cub. Could it be a hidden….

Finally reaching an absurd hypothesis, Bara felt dizzy and collapsed.

Ash’s affair, and a hidden child. Bara’s world had already transformed into a bleak drama.

Ignoring the staggering Bara, Ash stared intently at Ahin.

He wanted to bite the helpless old master, but annoyingly, he was the second most beloved creature in the world to Vivi, so he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Of course, Ash himself was Vivi’s number one.

Ahin, thinking along the same lines, slowly looked up at Ash.

‘Let’s just overlook this for Vivi’s sake.’ Ash and Ahin exchanged glances, silently reaching an understanding.

Soon, Ash gently nipped at Ahin’s scruff and nudged the dumbfounded Bara.

“-Bara, to the mansion.”

“-Ash, at least offer an explanation.”

Bara, who had steeled herself to find and eliminate Ash’s supposed affair partner and take in the ‘innocent’ baby black panther, turned to Ash. Her bright yellow eyes were brimming with tears.

“-Even a lie is fine. After all, I have no choice but to accept whatever you do,” she pleaded.

“-What are you suddenly talking about? More importantly, pick that up and follow me.”

“……?”

A bewildered gaze fell upon the pile of clothes scattered on the floor. Bara stared at the clothes, frozen, before sniffing at them, trying to catch Ahin’s scent.

‘It wasn’t a strange baby black panther, but a minion of the rabbit [referring to Ahin, who is associated with rabbits]!’

Finally realizing the baby black panther’s true identity, Bara visibly brightened. Her tail wagged furiously as she snatched up the clothes faster than an arrow.

Ash, realizing Bara’s obvious train of thought, chuckled and turned towards the mansion entrance.

His destination was Ahin’s office, where Vivi’s ‘slave’—Evelyn—would be waiting.

* * *

Inside Ahin’s office.

Evelyn stared intently at the baby black panther that Ash and Bara had brought.

He had never seen such an arrogant black panther in his life.

To brazenly walk over and sit right on Ahin’s chair, the seat of honor. With only its ears peeking out over the desk, it exuded an almost otherworldly dignity.

Evelyn glanced at the other aides, wondering if it was a young noble visiting the Grace family. ‘It wouldn’t be unusual for nobles to visit, but why a panther cub?’ she mused.

“…Who is it?”

“We don’t know.” The three aides, standing in a row, shook their heads simultaneously.

From the start, the baby black panther’s movements were too agile for a young beastman who hadn’t undergone his human transformation. Yet, strangely, Evelyn’s survival instincts were warning her to be wary of the baby black panther.

As Evelyn calmly observed, she soon noticed the piece of clothing that Bara was holding in her mouth. It was the black uniform Ahin had been wearing this morning.

“Could it be—”

Rarely shaken, Evelyn asked in a trembling voice,

“Could it possibly be… Ahin-nim [a respectful honorific in this context]?”

“Oh, Evelyn-nim [another respectful honorific]. Not again!”

“Such a joke.”

The aides, thinking it was just one of Evelyn’s usual odd jokes, chuckled dismissively. Their courage stemmed from not having noticed the clothing yet.

“Such an adorable Ahin-nim? That’s impossible.”

Evelyn couldn’t even manage a smile amidst the spreading laughter. The baby black panther’s eyes were far from adorable; they held a frighteningly chilling light.

“I’ll bet my neck on it that it’s definitely not Ahin-nim.”

The aide who had been joking until the end belatedly realized the atmosphere was strange.

The hearty laughter gradually subsided, fading into an awkward silence.

Only then did the aide, the one who had been warned earlier, finally examine the piece of clothing in Bara’s mouth. He clasped his hands together, his face paling.

He was a dead man. A single tear traced a path down his cheek as he imagined the grim future that awaited him.

Evelyn, turning away from the unsettling spectacle of the aide smiling with his mouth while tears streamed from his eyes, spoke in a flat voice.

“It would be wise to summon the physician before your head ends up on a pike. Do so discreetly, and without alerting the other servants.”

A short while later, the physician hurried into the room, his brow furrowed with concern. He carefully turned Ahin’s small body over, examining it with practiced eyes.

After analyzing the vial that had been clutched in Ahin’s clothing and performing a series of quick diagnoses, he began to speak, his voice hesitant.

“I’ve managed to extract the remaining compounds from the vial. It appears… oh, my apologies.”

The physician stammered an apology, repeatedly bowing for accidentally brushing against a sensitive area—Ahin’s stomach.

‘Where do you think you’re touching?’ Ahin swatted at the physician’s hand with a tiny forepaw, instinctively guarding his belly.

“Ahem, ahem,” the physician cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.

Assuming he was dealing with a particularly sensitive feline, he continued, “A potion concocted at the academy level is typically just a nutritional supplement. However, the issue here seems to stem from the fact that the maker is Rabbit-nim [a respectful honorific].”

‘Bibi? Why?’

Ahin mouthed the words, forgetting for a moment that he was unable to produce any sound in his current form. Fortunately, the physician seemed to understand his silent question and elaborated.

“Tanuki potions are unique in that their effects can be influenced by the pheromonal power of the creator. So, regardless of how inexperienced Rabbit-nim may be, the potion they created…”

The physician paused, a flicker of recollection in his eyes as he remembered the healing pheromones that were virtually nonexistent on this continent. “…would be potent.”

“I dare say it might produce an effect akin to a potion crafted by a master alchemist.”

“…….”

“Besides,” the physician continued, “it’s highly unlikely you’d intentionally create a body-shrinking potion during a lecture… My guess is Rabbit-nim’s pheromones saturated the mixture excessively during its creation, or perhaps there was a simple mixing error.”

Realizing his oversight, Ahin touched his temple with a tiny paw.

*Why did Bibi have to be born with such potent pheromones?*

Bibi’s gentle demeanor and his tendency to flinch at loud noises often made Ahin forget that Bibi might actually be more powerful than him in certain ways.

“Then, how do I revert to human form?” Ivelyn asked, having listened patiently.

“Well, without knowing the exact ingredients of the potion, it’s difficult to say precisely… However, Tanuki clan medicines typically have a limited duration. You should return to your human form within five days at the latest.”

*Five days?*

Absolutely not. Ahin, abruptly standing, seized the physician’s finger and shook it.

Bibi’s academy graduation ceremony was in five days. There was no way he could attend such an important event looking like this.

*Everyone will be there on graduation day. What if I mess something up during the congratulatory speech?*

The image of Bibi, subtly anticipating the event and tapping his foot with excitement, flashed before Ahin’s eyes.

*Grandfather is even planning an after-party following the graduation ceremony.*

*Grandfather, really, I asked you not to do that.*

Despite his outwardly troubled expression, Ahin suspected Bibi was secretly pleased that the entire family would be present.

Bang, bang. Desperate to return to his human form, Ahin slammed the desk with his paw. It was an unspoken order: find a way to change him back.

“Ahin, I apologize, but you need to be a little more specific…” the physician said, scratching his cheek, bewildered by Ahin’s clumsy attempts at communication.

*How frustrated must Bibi have been all this time?* Understanding that frustration perfectly, Ahin turned sharply to look at Ivelin.

Twenty years. After that much time spent together, he hoped Ivelin could read his intentions with just a glance.

As expected, Ivelin nodded promptly and calmly brought over a pot, large enough to hold a little black panther.

“Excuse me,” he said, picking up the struggling Ahin and placing him inside.

“Everyone, this is your first and last chance to commit insubordination,” Ivelin said grimly, holding the lid of the pot.

“It’s also an opportunity to taste the most precious black panther stew in the continent.”

“…….”

“Anyone care for a bowl?”

The physician and aides, unable to agree on a course of action, avoided eye contact, sweating nervously.

*Should I just kill him?* Ahin thought, standing on his hind legs and gripping the pot, glaring at Ivelin. Ivelin’s face, usually so stoic that not a drop of blood would appear even if pricked with a needle, had never seemed so deserving of obliteration as it did today.

*I really need that potion that will help us understand each other better.*

It was a moment when I understood Bibi’s feelings of narrowing her eyes whenever she saw Ivelin more than anyone else.

* * *

Before long, the sunset painted the academy grounds red.

Rustle. As evening approached, Ivelin, who had arrived at the academy, suddenly emerged from the bushes.

His face bore clear scratches, and he carried the pot containing Ahin in both arms. This special measure was taken because Ahin had vehemently opposed being held directly by Ivelin.

‘Analyzing the potion might yield an antidote, but it will take five days to create. I regret to say that the quickest way is to visit Professor Kallen, who taught me the recipe,’ the physician had advised.

As advised, he contacted Professor Kallen immediately, but the professor was nowhere to be found, as if he had locked himself away in his lab.

So, he made the trek all the way to the academy himself. Ivelin, watching the deserted campus, groaned.

“Even carriages are prohibited on campus… I’m afraid my precious legs will break while searching for Professor Kallen. How am I supposed to search this vast campus while avoiding the students?”

He suggested, thinking of Bibi, who would have already arrived at the academy.

“Please, let’s ask the Rabbit [referring to Bibi, likely due to her position or personality] for help.”

Ahin shook his head firmly.

“Why on earth? From the start, it’s practically impossible to prevent news of our visit from reaching the ears of the student council president, the Rabbit.”

‘I’m telling you, no way.’

Even Ahin, who had thrown away all shame, had a side he didn’t want to show Bibi. Even he thought his current appearance as a little black panther was too adorable.

“Then how about going to Lillian? I know she knows the location of the headmaster’s office well.”

Faced with his stubborn attitude, Ivelin had no choice but to suggest another plan.

‘Don’t bother scheming; let’s just find him directly.’

Ahin growled in protest as soon as Lillian’s name was mentioned. It was clear she would tease him endlessly if she saw him wandering around in a pot.

Ignoring Ahin’s fierce demeanor, Ivelin muttered quietly,

“…So picky.”

‘Say that again.’

“I meant it’s difficult to find the way.”

Was betrayal dominating Ivelin’s brain? While seriously considering whether Ahin would slash his throat with his forepaw, Ivelin was looking elsewhere.

“That person….”

Besides Alan, the only pig beastman among the academy students who knew the relationship between Bibi and Ahin was Hendri, Bibi’s classmate with half-tied blue hair.

Without hesitation, Ivelin got up, pushed aside the bushes, and ran over. He was a hopeful existence who might be helpful if persuaded well.

“Mr. Pig.”

“No, why use my species instead of my perfectly good name… Oh?”

Hendri, who was turning around in disbelief, widened his eyes. First, he was surprised by Ivelin’s handsome appearance, and second, he was reminded of Ivelin’s high status.

As Hendri tried to bow, Ivelin waved his hand to stop him and immediately got to the point.

“Please guide me to where Professor Kallen is. Of course, without the Rabbit [referring to Bibi, likely due to her position or personality] knowing.”

“Professor Kallen? It’ll be difficult to see him when he’s in his lab… More importantly, may I ask why you’re keeping it a secret from Bibi?”

“The situation is complicated, so I’ll explain as we move.”

“Well… I’m fine, but Bibi should be coming from behind. We just parted ways.”

As Ivelin followed Hendri’s finger, his heart plummeted. A pure white figure was striding energetically from the outskirts of the campus.

“You must hide.”

He urgently led Hendri and dove into the bushes. Hendri, caught off guard and forced to hide, whispered resentfully.

“What are you doing all of a sudden?”

“I’m trying to avoid the Rabbit.”

*Who doesn’t know that’s what you’re doing?* Hendri, frustrated by the obvious answer, thumped his chest.

*So why are you dragging me into this avoidance?!*

As she turned to protest again, she was left speechless. Ivelin’s face was so close she could feel his breath.

Her trembling gaze darted between the black hair adorned with leaves and his neat features. He acted like a complete weirdo, but why was his appearance so unnecessarily flawless?

In the strange silence, Ivelin spoke first.

“It’s okay.”

“…What is?”

“To fall in love at first sight. Such developments are common for me.”

“Ha, really.”

Unfortunately, his beauty was overshadowed by his sinful way with words. Hendri, deciding against saying the many things she wanted to, glared ahead with a simmering face.

“Ivelin, by the way,”

“Please, speak.”

“Is it okay to leave that behind? The pot and… is that a cat?”

Only then did Ivelin realize something was missing, checking his empty hands. His usually indifferent face crumbled in an instant.

He stared at the pot in the middle of the courtyard, his lips moving slightly.

“Ah, Ahin.”

*…Ahin?*

Hendri looked back and forth between the cat in the pot and Ivelin, puzzled, before her expression turned to shock.

“Could it be…!”

“Shh.”

A long finger blocked Hendri’s lips as she was about to scream. Ivelin’s gaze was fixed on Bibi, who was approaching the pot.

He was hiding so desperately that Hendri felt awkward making any noise, so she asked quietly,

“…Why is Bibi acting like that?”

“Well, to be honest, I have a hard time reading the Rabbit’s mind.”

Bibi was peering intently at the pot from behind a nearby tree, only half his body showing. More precisely, he was staring at Ahin inside the pot.

Ahin, feeling mortified, couldn’t bring himself to look away from Bibi’s glare.

About ten minutes passed in that awkward silence.

Bibi, who had been intently watching the pot, finally began to move.

One step, two steps. Bibi, who had been taking steps with bated breath, suddenly kicked off the ground with a burst of speed.

“What is that…!”

Before Ivelin could even register her surprise, Bibi snatched the pot as fiercely as a predator seizing its prey.

Tap, tap, tap. In mere seconds, Bibi, having absconded with the pot containing Ahin, was already making a swift escape.

This wasn’t right. Ivelin could only stare blankly at Bibi’s retreating figure, completely unable to intervene.

* * *

Ahin, jostled back and forth inside the pot, found his mind in a state of considerable turmoil.

A measure of resentment toward the incompetent Ivelin, who had so easily forgotten him.

A flurry of questions about why Bibi had kidnapped him and was now running for dear life.

A dash of resignation, convinced that everything was utterly ruined.

Just as Ahin, exhausted from his thoughts, was about to adopt an expression of utter detachment from the world, Bibi, having reached a deserted location, gasped for breath.

She carefully placed the pot on the ground and gently lifted out the baby black panther.

“Who would put you in a pot like this?”

Such barbarity! Bibi felt even more emotionally invested because it involved a baby black panther.

“I don’t know how you ended up in such a place, but you could have been in serious danger. This place is teeming with ferocious beasts.”

Bibi’s reasoning was that a young creature like him could be swallowed whole in a single gulp.

“Do you understand?”

She gently shook Ahin, all the while remaining vigilant about her surroundings.

Hanging in the air, Ahin experienced a strange, new sensation.

To him, Bibi had always seemed small and fragile, as if she might break at any moment. Now, it felt awkward and novel to see Bibi carefully handling him; it was the opposite of what he was used to.

‘…This isn’t so bad,’ he thought.

‘Is this blind affection and protection the source of Ash’s unfounded arrogance?’ Experiencing it firsthand, it wasn’t as unpleasant as he had imagined.

‘When else would I receive such affection from Bibi? It might be nice to stay like this until Ivelin arrives.’

Reaching that point in his thoughts, Ahin immediately put on a teary-eyed expression, a level of pretense that would have made him want to gouge his own eyes out if Ivelin were there to witness it.

“Yes, yes,” Bibi cooed.

Utterly taken in by those pitiful eyes, she nodded repeatedly. “I will definitely find your owner for you… No, if your owner put you in a pot, it might be better not to find them.”

She said this to herself as she held Ahin securely in her arms and began to move onward.

The one who was acting like a lost young beast glanced up at Bibi.

It was the first time this winter that Bibi didn’t feel burdensome, even with such close contact.

‘Perhaps it’s because I’ve turned into a body that can’t harm Bibi. Maybe becoming this weak was a good thing after all,’ he mused.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, never imagining that a day would come when he would be grateful for his own weakness.

While he was fiddling with his not-so-sharp fangs with his front paw, Bibi entered a lavish building and began climbing the stairs.

“We’re almost there.”

Unlike Bibi, who stepped forward without hesitation, Ahin’s complexion grew paler as they ascended to the higher floors. He knew exactly where this hallway led.

The Headmaster’s office.

Reaching that dreadful place, Bibi peeked her head through the door.

“Grandfather, are you busy?”

A voice as soft as cotton candy echoed from within. It was hard to believe it was Lilian, so different from his usual self.

Bibi flung the door open as if it were a familiar routine.

“You never acknowledge this old man at the academy. What wind has blown you here?”

Lilian, who had just finished his work, welcomed her with open arms.

“You know it’s unavoidable.”

“You’re quite the talker, aren’t you? So brave.”

“Grandfather, that’s not what ‘brave’ means.”

Lilian beamed, finding even Bibi’s grumbling adorable.

‘Has the old man had a drink or something?’ Ahin frowned, utterly dumbfounded. He wasn’t usually this extreme when others were watching, but behind the scenes, he seemed ready to applaud Bibi for merely breathing.

“Have you had dinner? It’s cold; you should dress more warmly… What’s this?”

Lilian scrutinized Bibi for a long while before finally noticing the baby black panther.

Lilian’s narrowed eyes scanned Ahin as if trying to see right through him. It was a gaze meant to discern whether he was a beast-man [a human capable of transforming into an animal] or a mere animal.

In his current state, Ahin certainly didn’t want Lilian to discover his true identity, so he suppressed his pheromones even further.

“Hmm.”

Lilian, having determined Ahin was merely an animal, stroked his beard.

“It looks like a baby black panther, but where did you get it? Its teeth haven’t even come in properly yet.”

“It seems someone abandoned it on campus,” Bibi began to explain, slightly indignant.

Not only was it abandoned on campus, but the barbarity of putting it in a pot as well.

Lilian, who had been listening intently, clicked his tongue.

“Sometimes students bring in pets without permission, or they use wild animals that accidentally enter the school for experiments. This case seems to be the latter.”

“What… experiments are forbidden at the Bellhelm Academy.”

“As you know, not all students follow the rules.”

Bibi, her desire to return it to its owner completely gone, hugged the baby black panther tightly.

Lilian, feeling a pang of sympathy, suppressed his anger and put his hands behind his back.

“First, this old man will look for the student who abandoned the black panther. We also need to think about where it can stay for a few days.”

Ahin had already decided to rely on Bibi. Lilian, who had been quietly looking down at him nestled in her arms, twitched one eyebrow.

“-That one really resembles him.”

“Who?”

“Ahin, I mean. That’s exactly what he looked like before he underwent humanization [the process of transforming from an animal form to a human form].”

“Black panthers are all like that. Schua and Vion looked similar too.”

“Ahem, is that so?”

When Lilian playfully poked his nose with his index finger, Ahin bit his wrinkled finger right away.

“Eek, tsk.” Horrified, he quickly pulled his hand away.

“Are you okay, Grandfather?”

“I’m fine. That feisty thing, being docile only to you, Rabbit, is just like that grandson of mine.”

So, this baby black panther resembles Ahin that much. Bibi, curious about his childhood, looked at him with curious eyes.

“Ahin must have been like this when he was a young black panther. I’d love to see it.”

“There’s no need to see it. He’s exactly the same as he is now. There won’t be another arrogant baby like him in the world.”

“I guess so. His personality wouldn’t have changed much, would it?”

Ahin, unintentionally eavesdropping on the gossip, snorted. Slander about his childhood, which he barely remembered, didn’t faze him in the slightest.

“Still, I’m curious. Aren’t you?”

Bibi, who was stroking the baby black panther’s head, suddenly wore a blank expression.

In her hazy childhood memories, she seemed to have glimpsed the unique red eyes of a black panther beast-man [a person who can transform into a black panther or has features of one].

‘You mustn’t touch baby rabbits carelessly. They are weaker than us.’

Without any other scenes, only two pairs of red eyes floated around in her head.

Had I met a black panther beast-man [a person who can transform into a black panther or has features of one] before meeting Ahin? Since I couldn’t go out, there wouldn’t have been a chance.

‘…Was it a dream?’

Bibi, deep in thought, snapped back to reality when she felt soft paws touching the back of her hand. The baby black panther standing there looked quite worried.

How cute. Bibi, momentarily seeing Ash overlapping with the baby, smiled brightly.

“Why, am I not giving you enough attention?”

“He’s such a clingy one. I’ll take this little one to the veterinary professor. It’s late, so you should return to your dorm, Rabbit.”

Being separated from Bibi? Ahin was horrified and tried to run, but Lillian swept him away. No matter how much he resisted with his front paws, he only left scratch marks on the sofa.

Lillian brought the struggling Ahin up to her face, wearing a pleased smile.

“How adorable, it reminds me of my grandson when he was young.”

“Grandfather… he seems to dislike it a little… Ah.”

Bibi, who was trying to dissuade her, was startled and opened her mouth in a diamond shape.

*Smooch.* Lillian’s rough lips met Ahin’s snout and parted in an instant.

Ahin froze, unable to even blink. A disaster equivalent to a natural disaster had befallen his snout.

‘That old man,’

He couldn’t accept what had just happened.

‘That old man…’

Ahin’s body, trembling violently, soon slumped. It was a day he personally experienced Bibi’s feelings when she fainted out of boredom.

Ahin slowly opened his eyes, his vision swimming in the darkness. The sound of someone shaking a water bottle, along with soft chatter, gradually roused him from his dazed state.

“You’re awake?”

Bibi’s clear face came into focus as Ahin blinked. Strands of her flowing white hair tickled his cheeks.

“I was surprised when you suddenly collapsed. Was Grandfather really that scary that he made you faint? …Or maybe you just don’t like kisses?”

Kiss. The memory of the unwanted affection he’d received before fainting flooded back, and Ahin shot up. The more he scrubbed his snout with his front paws, the clearer the image of those approaching lips became.

‘Damn it.’ He swallowed a curse, then realized that Bibi’s pheromone scent was unusually strong in the air.

‘Where am I…?’

Ahin belatedly recognized his surroundings and his eyes widened.

A cozy room with a wooden bed. It was none other than Bibi’s dorm.

A strange wave of sentimentality washed over him as he looked around the room.

The gloomy curtains drawn over the window, the stacks of beast-taming books piled high, and the menacing dagger displayed in the showcase—a gift from Mayme.

It was undeniably Bibi’s dorm, plainly revealing her ambition and determined spirit.

Then, Ahin’s gaze settled on the rabbit painting hanging on the wall—a work by Russell—and he began to roll around on the bed.

From a beast’s perspective, it was a somewhat eerie room, but so what? The dorm, filled with Bibi’s presence, was more comforting and pleasing to him than anywhere else in the world.

Meanwhile, Bibi glanced sideways at the baby black panther rolling around on the bed.

‘…He’s full of energy, isn’t he?’

According to the veterinary professor’s diagnosis—he was just a little startled, apparently—the baby black panther was already wide awake and playing by himself.

“I figured you seemed too scared of Grandfather, so I decided to take care of you until your living arrangements are sorted out,” Bibi said.

Relieved, she began shaking a formula container she’d pulled from her backpack. The veterinary professor had advised that he was still young enough to need formula.

The rattling sound immediately caught the baby black panther’s attention, his sharp eyes fixed on the container. Meeting his resistant gaze, Bibi planted her hands on her hips, her expression stern.

“No being picky.”

She’d been told that even if he refused to eat, she absolutely had to feed him.

“It would be a disaster if he became malnourished.”

Bibi frowned as she vigorously shook the formula, which was mixed with medicine.

Where had his earlier listlessness gone? The baby black panther, now full of energy, slammed his front paws against the bed, making it clear he wasn’t interested.

How dare he act spoiled in front of her, Bibi, who had raised both Shou and Vion, the dominant figures of the Grace family? Dumbfounded, she held the formula container high.

In response, the baby black panther tapped the sofa again with his front paws and let out a howl.

Not only picky, but fussy too! *Pop*, flames flickered in Bibi’s eyes as she opened the lid of the formula container.

“Aren’t you coming here?”

The baby black panther, annoyingly, managed to evade Bibi’s grasp by a hair’s breadth every time she lunged. The speed with which he slipped away suggested he was no ordinary creature.

“Ha, so you’re acting like a black panther now, huh?”

Vowing to feed him the formula even if it meant staking her honor as Bibi, she unbuttoned her school uniform jacket—an action to improve her mobility.

‘Now.’

Reaching out, Bibi tripped over the edge of the bed and tumbled down with a loud crash.

Ahin, who was desperately trying to escape, stared at her, dumbfounded.

Given Bibi’s personality, he expected her to either get up immediately or start crying about the pain. But she remained motionless, face down.

What if she hit her head hard while falling?

‘…Bibi!’

Just as a blood drained Ahin rushed over,

“Gotcha!”

Bibi, her forehead reddened from hitting the floor, raised her head and snatched Ahin’s front paw. In a flash, she pulled him close and shoved the formula bottle into his mouth—it took only a few seconds.

Ahin struggled in horror, but he couldn’t bring himself to scratch Bibi, who was holding him in her arms.

“Don’t think I won’t spank you if you don’t finish it all!”

Bibi, mistakenly believing that the black panther’s weakness was its butt, sternly warned.

‘Please, Bibi.’

This time, even the thought of his butt couldn’t sway Ahin’s resolve.

Being forced to drink formula at this age, after even kissing Lilian, was the most horrific experience he had ever endured. It was a series of unfortunate events.

Tightly closing his eyes, Ahin decided to postpone his plan to reveal his true identity to Bibi. He’d rather disappear from this world than have all of this exposed.

* * *

The day dawned, and the clock hands pointed precisely at noon.

Sitting alone by the dormitory window, Ahin gazed at the scenery outside with a solemn expression.

‘When will Evelyn come to rescue me from this rabbit hole?’ Despite his anticipation, neither Evelyn nor even an ant appeared.

‘I want to disappear.’

Ahin shuddered, recalling the events he had endured while waiting. *Thwack!* A black paw violently struck the window.

Not only was he stuck in the body of a damned baby black panther while sharing a bed with Bibi, but from morning on, he was being fed and subjected to humiliating baths…

Ahin, muttering about the hell he had gone through in a single day, belatedly scratched his cheek with his front paw.

Hmm, on second thought, it wasn’t all bad. Ahin was always the one offering food to Bibi, but when else would Bibi personally feed him?

“Alright, time to get ready to go out.”

Torn between his rights as a human and his rights as a baby black panther, Ahin glared primly at Bibi. If it weren’t for that flirt picking up stray black panthers, he wouldn’t be agonizing over this.

“Always rebelling, always.”

Bibi chuckled and poked Ahin’s forehead.

What kind of baby black panther gives such rebellious looks? Even as she dressed him in a winter puppy outfit she had gotten, his fiercely upturned eyes showed no sign of softening.

Yet, it was oddly ironic how he obediently snuggled into her arms when she reached for him. Thanks to that, Bibi didn’t have a single scratch on her arm despite wrestling with him all day.

‘He’s so docile when left alone. Does he really hate mealtime and baths that much?’

Then again, Ash also hates water. Bibi thought of Ash, who would run away at the mere sight of a puddle, and placed the baby black panther in her backpack.

The baby black panther, with only its head sticking out, simply stared into the distance with a world-weary expression.

Bibi, securing the backpack tightly in case he ran away, opened the dormitory door and stepped out. Her destination was the building housing the medical department’s faculty offices.

“Professor Jin-na!”

“Oh my, Bibi. Please, have a seat over here.”

Bibi greeted her and settled onto the soft velvet sofa.

Ahin, who had stealthily emerged from the backpack, looked around the room filled with various flasks. The place Bibi headed to was none other than Professor Jin-na’s lab.

“A baby black panther, how lovely. Did Ash have a baby already?”

Professor Jin-na, who was tidying up the scattered documents, asked.

“No, it’s not Ash’s baby… I’m just taking care of him for a while due to some circumstances.”

“Is that so? What circumstances could there be for such a tiny one.”

The two naturally started a conversation about the baby black panther.

Ahin, who was playing on the sofa, locked eyes with a pair of black eyes peering over the sofa’s handle. It was Russell, who had grown into a reasonably dignified child, though still small for his age.

‘Long time no see.’

Forgetting that he was in the form of a baby black panther, Ahin arrogantly tilted his chin.

Meanwhile, Russell, who only had his face sticking out over the sofa handle, trembled like an aspen [a type of tree known for its trembling leaves].

‘Bad energy.’

The pheromones that read auras were identifying that baby black panther as a dangerous figure.

Dark, pitch-black, cold, and threatening, this energy was definitely… Russell, who instantly recognized the baby black panther’s identity, mumbled to himself.

“No, no….”

“Russell, what did you say?”

Bibi, hearing the mumbled words, quickly turned her head.

Ahin, belatedly remembering Russell’s ability to sense pheromones, restlessly shifted, sitting down and standing up repeatedly.

“Hero, that baby is no good. That one is… eugh!”

Russell’s mouth, about to expose Ahin’s true identity, was abruptly silenced by a wad of cotton. It was Ahin’s forepaw, instantly shoved into his mouth as if plugging it with a fist.

‘Don’t you dare say it.’

Russell, reading the terrifying gaze of the baby black panther, leaped into Professor Jin-na’s arms as if fleeing for his life.

“Professor Jin-na.”

“Russell? What’s wrong?”

Ahin immediately pretended to be well-behaved, feigning innocence.

Professor Jin-na, completely clueless, patted Russell’s back as he sat on her lap. Nevertheless, Russell was busy hiding, cowering like a mouse before a cat.

“He seems startled, ah.”

Bibi sighed, looking back and forth between Russell and the baby black panther with a puzzled expression.

While the black panther was a feline, the capybara [a large, tailless rodent native to South America] was, well, a rodent. It was unusual that he had gotten along so well with Ash; it wasn’t strange for him to feel wary of an unfamiliar natural enemy.

‘I know that feeling all too well.’

Bibi, fully sympathizing with Russell’s fear, pulled the baby black panther closer.

“I’m sorry, Russell. I’ll hold him tight.”

“Hero, throw it away! It’s a monster….”

Russell shook his head, clinging to Professor Jin-na like a cicada to an old tree.

Professor Jin-na, caught off balance, said with a troubled expression, “He usually feeds the eagles so well, why is he like this? Russell, would you like to step out for a moment?”

Russell stubbornly refused to leave, insisting on staying put.

Eventually, Professor Jin-na, proceeding with the conversation despite the clinging capybara, abruptly presented a report. “The results are in, by the way. It’s what Bibi asked about the other day.”

‘Bibi asked about it?’

Ahin craned his neck, subtly peeking at the report. ‘Is this why Bibi was so keen on visiting the academy?’

The report listed ancient languages used primarily by beast-kin involved in the medical field, not the common continental language.

“This is…”

Bibi, who hadn’t yet mastered ancient languages, frowned slightly. Unlike her bewildered expression, Ahin’s face gradually hardened as he understood it at once.

The report detailed the possibility of a seizure, a condition sometimes triggered by dominant pheromones, appearing in a future child.

Professor Jin-na glanced at Bibi and cautiously began to speak. “Of course, it’s a concern. It would be a big problem if a future child had the same dominant pheromones as Ahin.”

Bibi nodded slowly, muttering with a nervous look, “Besides, if they inherit healing pheromones, their humanization might be delayed like mine….”

“That won’t be the case. Bibi was also under the influence of medication. Besides, if it’s a beast-kin, especially one with the bloodline of a chieftain, their robust physique should be able to handle healing pheromones just fine.”

Bibi deeply agreed, considering Ahin’s physical strength, which seemed capable of crushing iron. “He’s practically indestructible,” she thought.

“No room for argument there.”

“So, don’t worry about the healing pheromones. Even if their humanization [the process of a beast-kin transforming into a human] is delayed, it would only be by a year or two, tops.”

Ahin, now unfazed by such backhanded comments, waited for Professor Jin-na’s next words. He’d grown accustomed to her bluntness.

“The problem is the dominant pheromones that trigger those unique seizures. The lack of data in academia is probably because most individuals with dominant pheromones—”

“…died,” Ahin finished, the implication hanging heavy in the air.

“Exactly.”

A chill ran down Bibi’s spine, and she unconsciously tightened her arms around Ahin. “Cough,” Ahin wheezed, his stomach constricted, as he flailed his hind legs. Bibi’s grip was a little too enthusiastic.

“Anyway, let’s get to the point. Do you remember me asking you to bring a few strands of Ahin’s hair last time?”

“Yes, yes.”

Ahin, who had been listening intently, recalled the day Bibi was particularly fixated on his hair. He shuddered at the memory.

She had claimed it was a massage to clear his head, pulling at his scalp so much it felt like it would stretch. So, that was the reason. He’d suspected something was up with her unusual enthusiasm.

Unable to refuse Bibi’s overwhelming dedication (or perhaps her strength), Ahin wiped his eyes, remembering the pain of having his hair ripped out until his eyes nearly popped vertically. “Never trust a ‘scalp massage’ from Bibi,” he mentally vowed.

“I also took a few strands of Bibi’s hair.”

While Ahin was lost in wistful (and painful) thoughts, Professor Jin-na continued her explanation.

“Yes. But why the hair…?” Ahin asked, finally voicing the question that was nagging at him.

“Shifters can extract pheromones from parts of their bodies. I compared the pheromones extracted from both of you to determine which is more dominant. Due to the nature of shifters, even a slightly superior pheromone is likely to be expressed in their offspring.”

This meant that the healing pheromone needed to be dominant for safety. Bibi, anxious, fidgeted in her seat.

“Are the results out? Whose pheromone is more dominant, Ahin’s or mine?”

“Well, the results are a bit unusual. Could you turn to the next page of the report?”

Professor Jin-na, readjusting Russell in her arms, gestured towards the document. Growing impatient, Ahin unconsciously reached out a paw towards the report.

“No way.”

Bibi, seeing it as a pointless prank, sternly frowned and stopped him.

With a flick, Bibi brushed off Ahin and turned the page of the report. Despite her composed expression, her fingertips trembled slightly.

“Purple?”

The next page displayed a circle of a peculiar color. Unable to fully interpret its meaning, Bibi looked at Professor Jin-na, seeking an explanation.

“It’s a mysterious color, isn’t it? In pheromone research, purple signifies a middle ground.”

“Does that mean…?”

“The conclusion is that it’s difficult to determine the dominance between Bibi’s and Ahin’s pheromones. Ideally, one of them should show a dominant reaction, but… when that can’t be determined, an intermediate reaction, or purple, appears.”

A meaningful smile formed on Professor Jin-na’s lips.

“Based on previous cases, there’s a very high probability that the intermediate reaction will also appear in the offspring.”

“Are you saying… they could inherit both the dominant and healing pheromones simultaneously?”

“Yes, or there’s a small chance that the dominant pheromone of the Valens leader could appear. That’s why pheromones are endlessly researched.”

Just how monstrous would this child’s power be? Bibi, overwhelmed with fear, could only open and close her mouth, unable to fully imagine it. There was even the possibility of pheromones that could both inflict harm with dominance and heal with the healing trait. The implications were staggering.

“Moreover, since you mentioned that Bibi’s healing pheromones suppressed Ahin’s pheromone surges… the probability of surges appearing in a child with a healing lineage is close to zero. So, you don’t need to worry,” Professor Jin-na reassured her.

“…….”

“Bibi.”

“Yes, yes?” Bibi stammered, snapping out of her daze.

Bibi, who had been blankly staring into space, stammered a response. She was overwhelmed by relief that the child would be fine, a weight lifting from her shoulders. But this was quickly followed by a sudden, renewed anxiety: Ahin might have died if she hadn’t possessed healing pheromones. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Professor Jin-na smiled gently and pointed to the purple circle in the report.

Bibi’s gaze was drawn to the purple circle as if hypnotized. It was a dreamlike color that seemed to pull her in, a swirling vortex of lavender and violet.

“Purple is a color where two seemingly incompatible colors coexist, just like you and Ahin,” Professor Jin-na explained. “It represents the blending of your distinct pheromonal signatures.”

“Ah….”

“Perhaps it was fate that you two met. Especially for Ahin.”

* * *

Bibi, with her backpack slung over her shoulder, left Professor Jin-na’s office. The wide campus, now deserted for winter break, felt particularly desolate today. She tucked a strand of hair fluttering in the winter wind behind her ear and turned toward the Black Leopard territory. The air was crisp and cold, biting at her cheeks.

Images flashed through her mind: Ahin’s face, the purple circle, Professor Jin-na’s words. Then, a darker memory surfaced, a taunt from the Black Leopard pack.

‘Cry more.’

‘Because I’m going to eat you tomorrow.’

I initially thought meeting Ahin was a terrible trial sent by the Beast God.

Now, it’s strange and amusing how I consider our connection a stroke of luck.

‘It’s a relief the baby doesn’t have seizures.’

Purple….

Soon, Bibi smiled faintly, crumpled the report, and stuffed it into her school uniform pocket.

“You know what? I’ve always loved purple.”

Bibi, chatting nonsense to the baby black leopard in her backpack, started walking again. Her steps felt lighter, as if she were walking on clouds.

‘You like green the most, though.’

Liar. Ahin blinked slowly, swaying with her movements.

In fact, the topic Bibi discussed with Professor Jin-na was also a concern for Ahin.

‘I’m sorry, but to determine the dominance of the pheromones, we need a part of the rabbit’s body.’

‘…Are you crazy?’

‘N-not like a hand or anything, just a small amount of hair is enough. Fur from when you revert to your rabbit form is also fine!’

So, he entrusted the rabbit fur—obtained at the cost of Bibi’s back kicks—to the doctor. Yet, unexpectedly, he heard the results through Professor Jin-na.

Inwardly relieved by the positive outcome, Ahin glanced up at Bibi, who was humming.

Why do we try to find answers in different places while having the same concerns? If she had just told me, instead of going through Professor Jin-na, I could have given her the answer right away.

Thinking that, Ahin rubbed his face with his front paws.

“-That’s a joke.”

Even she couldn’t tell him everything, so there was no way Bibi could easily confide in him about her questions.

Besides, the reason Bibi sought out Professor Jin-na before Ahin was obvious.

They were subtly avoiding the story related to the day Ahin almost killed Bibi a few years ago. They also tended to avoid in-depth conversations about dominant pheromones.

Just as Ahin was newly aware of their lack of communication, a clear voice broke through his thoughts.

“Ms. Bibi, it’s been a while.”

“Sorry, am I a bit late?”

Bibi’s next scheduled event was a tea party with students held in the school greenhouse.

As soon as she arrived, the students noticed the baby black panther in her backpack and began to stir with excitement.

“Oh my gosh, a baby black panther?”

Ahin, now the center of attention, nonchalantly sat on the table. Bibi’s academy life, which he had unintentionally joined, was proving quite interesting.

“I’m just looking after him for a bit,” Bibi explained as she belatedly took a seat.

“So cute! What’s his name?”

‘Name?’

Only then did Ahin, who didn’t have a name, turn to Bibi. Contrary to his expectation that she would be flustered, she answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Anri.”

“Anri? What an adorable name.”

Ahin seemed to have become Anri without even realizing it. Moreover, Bibi seemed quite pleased with the name she had given him, wearing a slightly shy expression.

‘-Not bad.’

Satisfied with the name he had been granted, Ahin slowly surveyed the attendees of the tea party.

Pigs, sheep, tigers, dogs…

A gathering of clans with almost no common ground, ranging from herbivores to carnivores.

Even in an academy where various clans are mixed, it’s unusual for herbivores and carnivores to mingle so freely. Ahin, concluding that Bibi’s charm, which had subdued even a black panther, was also effective on other clans, narrowed his eyes.

On the opposite side, filled with vigilance and jealousy, Hendry, one of the attendees, straightened her back. A conversation with Evelyn flashed through her mind.

‘Why shouldn’t I tell Bibi about his true identity? No matter how high the order, I can’t deceive Bibi, not as her close friend.’

‘It’s all Ahin’s will. If we ever displease him, we’re all done for—completely wiped out.’

‘What… what do you mean by wiped out?’

Evelyn calmly gestured a chopping motion around her neck, reassuring Hendry.

‘Just look at Ahin’s eyes; he’s capable of it.’

Sweating, Hendry subtly checked Ahin’s eyes.

Indeed. They were sparkling only when looking at Bibi, but when he turned his head, they instantly changed into a cold gaze that seemed to look down on the entire world.

Ahin Grace.

Hendry closed her eyes tightly, recalling Bibi’s grumbling about him being a crazy person with no regard for the future [someone reckless and impulsive] and the world’s assessment of him as a monster who devoured the wolf territory in just one year.

‘I’m sorry, Bibi.’

It’s a general rule not to interfere in other people’s relationships.

Having decided to zip her lips, Hendry secretly tugged on Ahin’s coattails.

When Ahin turned around, puzzled, Hendry discreetly unfolded a piece of paper, avoiding the gazes of the other attendees.

“Professor Calen’s contract termination will be finalized tomorrow morning. Trust Evelyn and hang in there just a little longer.

-Ahin’s Evelyn”

It was a message from Evelyn, dripping with flattery.

The thought of no longer having to pretend to be Anri after tomorrow filled Ahin’s face with a noticeable brightness.

“Anri, don’t wander too far, especially not near the refreshments.”

Just then, Bibi gently pulled Ahin closer, worried he might gobble up all the refreshments like Ash.

Bibi, having kept the refreshments at a safe distance, glanced at the baby black panther, who looked strangely pleased.

Was he overwhelmed by the large number of people at the tea party? No, his attitude of enjoying the attention focused on him as if it were his due was just like Ahin.

Is arrogance ingrained in the black panther’s bloodline itself?

“Lady Bibi.”

“Yes?”

Bibi, who had been contemplating, was snapped out of her thoughts by the call of a young noble lady.

“So, does that mean *he* will finally be coming on the day of the graduation ceremony? He always said he was too busy to attend events until now.”

“Him…?”

Bibi, looking bewildered, repeated the question, then realized they were referring to her lover, whom she had kept a secret throughout her time at the academy.

Receiving all the curious gazes, her cheeks flushed slightly.

“Ah, he promised he would definitely come then.”

“Oh my, that’s wonderful.”

“Yes…”

The students exchanged subtle glances as they faced the shy Bibi.

Sometimes, she showed such bold aspects that it was hard to believe she was a rabbit beastkin [a humanoid with rabbit-like features]. The identity of her lover, who made Bibi so shy whenever he was brought up, was incredibly intriguing.

There were many rumors, such as him being kind, polite, or a herbivore beastkin [a beastkin who only eats plants], but they were just unfounded gossip.

Moreover, the graduation ceremony was a decisive day when Bibi’s veiled family members might attend.

The students, whose curiosity had built up over the past few years, poured out all sorts of questions.

Who he was, how they met, and whether it was a political marriage. Unable to answer all the rushing questions individually, Bibi began to explain in general terms.

“It’s nothing much. Um, he took me out of a dark place where I was trapped…”

*That rude beast stuffed me into his pocket when I was trapped in a basket.* Lost in memories, Bibi gazed vaguely into the air.

The students, interpreting it as him guiding Bibi, who had gone astray, back on the right path, were deeply moved. The rumor that he was a person of good character didn’t seem to be just baseless gossip.

“And he provided me with strong guards…”

*It took so long to adjust to Mayme, who was disguised as a maid.* Bibi’s eyes welled up as she recalled fainting from the endless daggers that came out of her apron.

“He always waited for me with a smile, even when I couldn’t speak properly back then.”

How difficult it was to communicate as a little rabbit. Bibi shuddered with anger, this time thinking of Ahin, who had snickered and watched her gestures.

‘That meddlesome black panther. I hope he gets a taste of his own medicine.’

Sighing, she fanned herself, then plucked a flower from the vase on the table and offered it to the baby black panther. *The lover is from the black panther tribe*—a subtle hint for the students.

“It’s not a political marriage.”

Bibi smiled faintly and added as a final touch.

“He’s just… someone I love very much.”

“…….”

“The most in the world.”

She managed to say, her ears reddening as she lowered her head.

A person who rightly guided the delinquent Bibi of the past and possesses a benevolent and affectionate character.

The students, now certain about the identity of her lover, lowered their gaze with curiosity.

They understood Bibi being shy, but they couldn’t understand why the baby black panther was also melting and fluttering like paper.

* * *

Immediately after the tea party, Bibi glanced at the baby black panther, who had become strangely emboldened. *Was he bursting with confidence, trusting in his owner’s backing?*

Even while visiting various places on campus, he hissed at any man who approached, making it exhausting just to stop him.

With a click, she returned to her dorm late at night and piled documents on her desk. As the student council president, she had mountains of work to handle, even as graduation approached.

‘Now, all that’s left is to hand over the documents.’

Bibi stretched, rotating her stiff shoulders.

She felt a mix of relief and regret about graduating. Feeling ambivalent, she tiptoed toward the bed.

At that moment, she made eye contact with the baby black panther sprawled on the bed.

“…Aren’t you asleep?”

His languid eyes made it hard to tell if he was sleepy, or if that was just how he always looked.

Even if he was nocturnal, they had been walking around all day. Wasn’t he tired? It was quite different from Schue and Bien, who used to doze off even with their eyes open when they were babies.

“You must be tired.”

Bibi quietly covered the baby black panther with the blanket she had brought, hoping to induce sleep.

However, as if to mock her efforts, the black forepaw coldly pushed the blanket away.

Undeterred by his sleepy grumbling, Bibi calmly pulled the blanket back up. Not planning to fall asleep first, Ahin kicked the blanket away with his hind legs this time.

‘You should lie down first.’

He had been wandering around the academy non-stop, and now she was doing paperwork again? He couldn’t stand by and watch Bibi overwork herself any longer.

“You’re being fussy again.”

Annoyed, Bibi placed her hands on her hips and spoke in a stern voice. Her sharply raised eyes were as sharp as blades.

“I’m a very scary person when I’m angry.”

Unfortunately, Bibi’s angry face didn’t faze the psycho—who, unbeknownst to her, liked even that side of her. Oblivious, she continued her futile attempts to train him.

“Attention, at ease.”

*Krrreng-* Undeterred, Ahin roared and thumped the bed with his tail.

‘So small, yet he thinks he’s a ferocious beast…’ Bibi flinched, her spirit rapidly waning. *Sigh.*

“Please, just sleep…”

Bibi, who claimed to be a scary person when angry, surrendered faster than anyone.

“You need to eat a lot and sleep a lot to grow up quickly.”

As if her earnest wish had been heard, the baby black panther, buried in the blanket, poked only his snout out. The exposed, round tip of his nose was so adorable that she wanted to poke it.

‘Are all babies cute, regardless of species?’

Bibi chuckled and secretly clicked her tongue [a Korean expression of mild disapproval or amusement].

He makes it hard to hate him no matter what. Especially how he knows when to push and pull, just like Ahin.

‘But that beast calculates everything he does.’

She scolded Ahin, who was cute no matter what he did, and then carefully arranged the baby black panther’s blanket.

“Sleep well.”

Putting the baby black panther to sleep. With one mission accomplished, Bibi turned on the lamp on her desk. It was the start of a mountain of paperwork.

How much time had passed? Ahin, who had stealthily crawled out of the blanket, climbed onto the desk.

The letters visible under the soft light were all boring.

His gaze, which had been flitting around the documents, quickly followed Bibi’s swiftly moving pen.

Bibi. The name written in the signature line was excessively clear.

Ahin stared up at Bibi, his eyes fixed on the empty space where a surname should have been.

‘It’s Bibi…’

Since leaving her family, she had occasionally hesitated when introducing herself.

Her mother must have mentioned that she could use the Grace surname. Yet, Ahin could only vaguely guess why she never used it.

Was it because she had to hide her relationship with the Grace family at the academy, or was it because she still found it difficult to accept the Grace name?

He wanted to ask right away, given his personality, but all that came out was a whimper.

‘How utterly pathetic.’

Ahin, pawing at his forehead, sank into deep contemplation.

Even as a relatively free-moving baby black panther, he found it frustrating to express what he wanted to say. He couldn’t fathom how Bibi had managed to express herself with her small body.

Just as he was drifting towards the foolish conclusion that Bibi might be a genius rabbit, the tip of a pen tapped his nose.

“You’re not sleeping again.”

Before he could even register it, Bibi’s face suddenly appeared before Ahin’s eyes.

He was caught off guard, his heart pounding. He was seeing Bibi’s face in much greater detail than when he was human.

Facing her watercolor-like face, Ahin felt momentarily captivated. [Watercolor-like face refers to a face with soft, delicate features, similar to a watercolor painting.]

Perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence, but fate, that he ended up crawling at the feet of the baby rabbit he had picked up. Just when he was about to forget, the rabbit would transform into that face and smile awkwardly. What kind of beast could resist surrendering?

Suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to express his feelings, Ahin paced around the desk.

*How* would Bibi express this? As he pondered, he suddenly recalled a similar situation from the past.

‘Not sleeping? Go to sleep anyway.’

Of course, back then, Ahin was the one working late, and Bibi was just a baby rabbit. Now, their positions were completely reversed.

Unable to decide whether to laugh or cry, he then remembered Bibi drawing an X with her front paws and wriggling around.

She ended up spilling the ink bottle and turning into a spotted rabbit. Even though it was a small gesture, he remembered it vividly because she seemed strangely embarrassed.

‘-What on earth is that supposed to be?’

Ahin, who had absentmindedly crossed his front paws, finally realized the meaning of the gesture. The answer was a heart.

‘Oh, really…’

That sly rabbit.

Only after several years did Ahin get hit with the full impact, and he covered his eyes with his front paws. He wanted to hide his flushed face completely, but he had to settle for this alternative because of his snout.

“Are you finally getting sleepy?”

Bibi, completely unaware of his predicament, moved the limp Ahin to the bed. His listless body went completely slack, unable to recover.

“I told you to sleep, but you were stubborn. I’m doing this all for your own good. When will you ever understand my feelings?”

Ahin was steadily coming to understand Bibi’s feelings, if nothing else.

* * *

In the deep night, the window rattled and shook against the fierce winter wind.

Disturbed by a faint moan, Ahin, who had been dozing fitfully, groggily opened his eyes. His hazy gaze searched for the source of the irritating noise.

He quickly spotted Bibi, drenched in cold sweat, and shot to his feet.

“Bibi?”

Under the moonlight, Bibi’s face was ashen and pale. Ahin hesitated, wanting to scoop her up in his arms.

‘Ah…’

Belatedly aware of his rabbit form, he shook Bibi’s arm, but his strength was pathetically weak. He was just too small to properly shake her awake.

Instead, Ahin began to pat her cheeks with his front paw.

“Bibi, wake up.”

Her soft cheeks squished under his paw.

Despite his efforts, Bibi barely stirred, her body trembling slightly. As if trapped in a nightmare, her fingertips and toes twitched and convulsed.

Suppressing his panic, Ahin checked Bibi’s pulse to assess her pheromone levels. Fortunately, it wasn’t a pheromone surge [a sudden and overwhelming release of pheromones, often associated with heat cycles or strong emotions in animals].

‘A nightmare, then.’

Bibi, Bibi.

Frantically anxious, Ahin pressed on Bibi’s forehead, pinched her nose, and repeatedly patted her cheeks to wake her. But unless he scratched, his actions were little more than ticklish nudges.

Just as he was about to abandon his composure and call for a physician, Bibi’s eyes flickered open.

“Huh,” Bibi gasped and quickly touched her neck, the very spot where Ahin had bitten her before.

“…….”

Her purple eyes, shaking like crashing waves, were unfocused.

Bibi, as if checking to see if she was still alive, repeatedly touched her neck before abruptly throwing back the blanket.

She burrowed under the covers as if being chased, pulling them over her head. Her small, curled-up body trembled, causing the pristine white bedding to shake as well.

Left outside the blanket, Ahin stood frozen, guarding his spot.

It was easy to guess why Bibi was acting this way, without needing to overthink it.

The terrible memory from that winter, years ago, had turned into a nightmare.

It seemed that Ahin wasn’t the only one traumatized by that day’s events. Bibi had been pretending to be okay, but she wasn’t.

His front paw, hovering in the air, couldn’t bring itself to touch Bibi and fell back down.

In the form of a mere baby black panther, far from human, there was nothing he could do.

Was this how Bibi felt as a baby rabbit in front of the iron gate? Ahin felt that the cotton blanket separating him and Bibi was thicker and sturdier than any iron gate.

It was the first night he truly felt utterly helpless.

* * *

Thwack, thwack! A pale foot vigorously kicked the blanket.

Bibi, displaying her violent sleeping habits from early morning, frowned slightly. The sunlight shining on her face felt quite harsh.

“Ugh…”

She stirred restlessly for no reason, then, after a moment of silence, she shot up as if propelled by a spring. It was because she remembered her terrible sleeping habits.

She hoped she hadn’t kicked the baby black panther in her sleep.

Her gaze, still adjusting to the morning light, soon landed on the black creature nestled on the pillow. It was the baby black panther, curled up and sound asleep.

‘What a surprise…’

Relieved to see the baby black panther was alright, Bibi picked up something damp that had brushed against her hand.

‘A wet towel?’

Drip, drip. Water droplets from the barely wrung-out towel soaked into the bedding.

Where did this wet towel come from?

‘Did I bring it in while sleeping?’

Come to think of it, her whole face felt excessively damp, as if she had been lying with a towel on it until just now.

Lost in thought, she slowly moved her gaze toward the pillow. There was no one else who could have brought it except for that baby black panther.

‘But how?’

Surely the baby black panther didn’t go to the bathroom and wash the towel himself.

Bibi shook her head, dismissing the impossible thought.

‘First, let’s wash up.’ She decided it would be best to clear her head and quietly slipped out of bed.

Soon, Bibi grabbed a dry towel from the shelf and disappeared into the bathroom. As soon as the door clicked shut, Ahin’s eyes slowly opened.

‘Looks like she’s not sick.’

Seeing her stretching silently and going through her exercises with such ease, Ahin let out a sigh of relief and reluctantly got up.

‘My front paw…’

He stared at his front paw, damp from washing the towel, with a look of resignation, like a cat contemplating a soggy sock.

Knock, knock. Something struck the window, the sound echoing softly.

‘This is the third floor,’ Ahin thought, puzzled.

He turned his head toward the sound and immediately tensed. Beyond the glass was Evelyn’s indifferent face, a sight he’d rather avoid even in his nightmares.

* * *

It took Evelyn mere minutes to “kidnap” Ahin, employing a ladder for the task.

Hiding in the bushes near the dormitory, Evelyn seized Ahin by the scruff of his neck. In an instant, Ahin’s paws left the ground, leaving him dangling.

“Poor thing, you must have been so humiliated these past few days,” Evelyn said, her voice devoid of emotion as she examined Ahin, who had become sleek and healthy under Bibi’s attentive care.

“Now that I, Evelyn, have rescued you, you have nothing to worry about anymore.”

‘Should I just kill her?’ Ahin thought, grinding his already small teeth. Evelyn was clearly exploiting his weakened state, handling him roughly on purpose.

‘Moreover…’

Alan Fredian. Ahin frowned deeply, glaring at Alan, who stood guard nearby.

‘Why did she bring that guy?’

“Don’t you remember? This is Alan Fredian. He’s currently the vice president of the academy’s student council.”

‘I didn’t ask who he was, but why did you bring Alan?’

From that moment on, Ahin vowed to dislike Alan forever, even pointing a finger accusingly at him.

“I just happened to run into him and he offered his help. Thanks to him, I was able to find Professor Kallen in a short amount of time,” Evelyn explained.

Evelyn, still not fully grasping the situation, chimed in, “I heard you’ll be interviewing for an aide position at Grace Company right after graduation. We’ve agreed to give you extra points then.”

‘Who decided that? Is she out of her mind?’ Ahin thought, a throbbing pain erupting in his head. In his mind’s eye, he viciously slashed at Evelyn’s face.

“Ugh,” Evelyn groaned, clutching her face. ‘How dare he even imagine marring my god-given beauty?’ She quickly retrieved a small medicine bottle from her pocket.

“This is Professor Kallen’s antidote. I’ve also prepared some clothes, so let’s go inside…”

“Bibi… no, it’s Master Rabbit,” Alan whispered urgently, breaking the silence. Rustling sounds echoed nearby. Holding their breath, they cautiously peered out from the bushes.

“Anri!” Bibi was frantically searching through the bushes, dressed only in her school uniform despite the cold winter weather. It was clear she was looking for the baby black panther who had mysteriously vanished from the dormitory.

Ahin, watching Bibi’s distressed movements, turned his gaze towards Evelyn.

“I deliberately left the window open. That way, my disappearance won’t seem suspicious,” Evelyn explained.

Ivelyn, as if reading his mind, added, “Let’s move before we’re discovered.”

Ahin couldn’t easily leave, knowing Bibi was desperately searching for him. Evelyn lightly patted Ahin’s rear.

“We can’t exactly reveal that you’re Ahin right now, can we?”

‘Don’t touch my butt, it’s irritating,’ Ahin thought, bristling at the contact.

“Master Rabbit will ask Head Butler Hendri to take him in. Now, Master Alan, hurry along.”

Evelyn gestured towards Alan and began crawling, carefully avoiding Bibi’s line of sight.

‘Is this what the life of a chief aide is like?’ Alan hesitated for a moment before transforming into a quadruped as well.

“Master Ahin, Master Alan, let’s proceed to the carriage awaiting us.”

Clumsily, the transformed figures continued their secret procession.

Forced to move, Ahin glanced back again.

‘Bibi.’

He took a step and turned back, took another step and turned back. He couldn’t shake the image of Bibi, her delicate hands digging through the bushes in the freezing weather.

Just as Evelyn, on the verge of frustration, was about to speak, Ahin’s eyes widened. Bibi, frantically searching through the bushes, tripped over a tree root.

Bibi quickly got up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing dirt from the ground across her palm.

Rustle, rustle. Even as she shed tears like beads, she showed no signs of stopping her search for the baby black panther.

‘How can I leave Bibi like that?’ Just as Ahin was caught in a whirlwind of conflict and anguish,

“Anri, where are you?”

Bibi’s tearful voice pierced his ears.

“Please come out….”

Ahin, who had been holding back, finally broke down at that voice and dashed out of the bushes. Answering Bibi’s call was more important than avoiding discovery.

“Anri!”

Bibi, with her arms wide open, embraced the baby black panther who came running to her.

Alan watched Bibi and Anri’s dramatic reunion with trembling eyes.

‘What is that…?’ he wondered.

He was supposed to be someone who single-handedly roamed the battlefield, a potentially unparalleled leader. But Ahin, being carried in the arms of a rabbit, simply didn’t compute in Alan’s understanding.

He had been doubtful ever since Evelyn told him the unbelievable story of a rabbit playing the Grace family on its forepaws… Denying reality, he turned to Evelyn with a creak in his neck.

“What the….”

“Just now, Master Ahin discarded even the last shred of shame he had left. Since he doesn’t seem to want to hide his identity anymore, all that’s left is to deliver the termination notice,” Evelyn said.

Evelyn, who was watching the two returning to the dormitory, tapped Alan’s frozen shoulder.

“You helped in many ways, so it’s a shame, Master Alan. Still, I’ll give you a tip to gain the leader’s favor during the aide interview.”

Evelyn recalled Valens complaining with a troubled expression not long ago. Every time he sleeps with Bibi, he has to curl up at the end of the bed, so shouldn’t he change to a bigger bed?

“What…?”

Alan, with a subtly expectant look, waited for Evelyn’s advice.

“Recommend someone useful for improving sleeping habits, or a craftsman who can make a wide bed.”

“Yes! …Yes? No, why would you say something like that at the aide interview?”

“I’m sure the leader will be very interested.”

Sleeping habits and a bed craftsman. It was a little later that Alan barely passed the aide interview after passionately discussing these two topics.

* * *

Bibi, having returned to the dormitory with Ahin, repeatedly apologized for her carelessness in not locking the window.

She then spent a long time examining Ahin’s body for any injuries, even resorting to using healing pheromones. Grabbing his forepaws with a determined look, she said,

“Ahin, let’s just go to the black panther territory.”

*It’s originally my territory.* Ahin, unable to explain, just stared blankly up at her.

“It might be hard to adjust at first, but…”

Bibi trailed off, then made a resolute face.

There isn’t a black panther enclosure at the academy, and besides, they can’t send him back to his original owner. She couldn’t return him to someone who might put him in a pot [referring to a cruel method of animal abuse] and abandon him again.

“I’ll take responsibility for you, no matter what. Just trust me.”

Ahin, who even heard that as a love confession, shyly blushed.

Bibi chuckled, facing the diligently nodding baby black panther. Whether it was a coincidence, or if he really understood.

“Okay, then let’s go to Grandpa [likely referring to the Dean or a father figure].”

She patted his bottom and started packing. She was planning to visit the Dean’s office and get Lillian’s permission regarding the baby black panther’s residence first.

As Bibi busily moved around and went into the bathroom, someone knocked on the window again, just like before.

“Please open the window.”

Ivelin, climbing up the ladder, moved his lips. He even had Queen, who should have been at the mansion, perched on his head.

‘Wait.’

Ahin, leaping with all his might, clung to the window latch. Click, the tightly locked mechanism opened.

“You must return to human form before the graduation ceremony.”

Ivelin, having opened the window, took out a blue-tinted antidote from his chest.

“And Queen brought a message; the aides are wailing that there’s a mountain of documents requiring Ahin’s signature.”

‘I can go back tomorrow.’

Queen, watching their standoff, clicked her tongue.

It seemed he was enjoying playing the baby black panther; trying to persuade him would take all day.

Queen flew up, snatched the antidote with her foot, and shoved it into Ahin’s snout. Gulp, the blue liquid instantly went down Ahin’s throat.

“You will naturally return to human form in a few minutes. And I didn’t do it, Queen did.”

Ivelin, examining the uneasy Ahin, closed the window and fled.

‘Ivelin!’

You should have at least given me my clothes. Bang, Ahin struck the windowpane with his front paw, but Ivelin, with his unparalleled escape skills, had already disappeared.

* * *

After washing off the dirt from falling while looking for the baby black panther, my heart sank. The baby black panther was gone again.

“Surely not.”

I darted to the window, checking the lock with lightning speed. Secure. Good.

Relieved, I started rustling around, searching for the baby black panther.

“Anri~?”

This Bibi [referring to herself] has years of hide-and-seek experience with Ash.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll gobble you up!”

I scoffed at my own silly threat and thoroughly searched under the bed, inside the closet, and behind the curtains.

And here I thought he was an expert hider. I spotted a black tail sticking out from under the blanket.

Silently, I crept closer and yanked the blanket up without warning.

“Found you!”

The baby black panther glanced at me, then tugged the blanket back down with its front paw. It clearly didn’t want to come out.

Was he cold? A little worried, I crawled under the blanket after him.

“What’s wrong?”

I lay down and placed the baby black panther, who seemed unusually subdued, on my stomach. He simply shrugged his front paws.

‘…He shrugged his front paws?’

Is it even possible for a black panther to make such a human-like gesture?

Pushing my doubts aside, I focused on checking him over. As I did, I sensed a strange energy, something I’d never felt before. It was definitely the flow of pheromones.

“…How can an animal have pheromones…?”

The moment I opened my mouth slightly in shock, a pure white light began to emanate from the baby black panther’s body.

With a heavy weight, an arm stretched out from the light and braced itself next to my head.

The light gradually subsided, and soon the baby black panther took on the complete form of a human.

Having confirmed the baby black panther’s true form, I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I was utterly speechless.

“H-How… You, why are you here…?”

*Why* are you coming out from *here*?

“No way….”

My vision was filled with Ahin’s clear face, neck, and broad shoulders.

“-Why are you so surprised? I’m Bibi’s Anri [a familiar or spirit animal in Korean folklore].”

‘I’ve never had such a *huge* Anri before.’

His voice was far too calm for someone who had just transformed from a baby black panther into a human. He sounded almost bored.

Meanwhile, I was still frozen, blinking repeatedly, trying to process what I was seeing.

‘Was Ahin feeling like this when he first transformed into a human? I was so surprised that I couldn’t even think properly.’

“Bibi.”

Ahin twisted a strand of my hair around his finger. The corner of his mouth curled up in a way that was more mischievous than ever before, a playful glint in his eyes.

“That’s why you shouldn’t pick up animals carelessly.”

“…Since when were *you* an animal?”

Was I hallucinating? My mind felt disconnected from my body, refusing to return to reality.

Tick, tock. The silence stretched, and Ahin gently lifted my eyelid with his finger.

“Sleeping with your eyes open?”

“Yes…. No, that’s not it! What on earth is going on here?”

I pushed away Ahin, who was leaning over me, and frantically covered my face with my hands. The realization had just hit me: he was naked, having transformed from a baby black panther into a human.

‘Oh my god.’

The bigger problem was the way he was positioned, showing off his sculpted upper body.

Our breaths mingled. My eyelashes fluttered as my gaze met his bare shoulders, and my toes curled with tension, threatening to cramp.

“Bibi, what’s the point of only covering your face? Your eyes are still peeking.”

“W-When did I ever do that?”

I swallowed hard and started wrapping Ahin in the blanket. It was impossible to completely cover him, given his unnecessarily large and long frame.

Whew, I wiped the sweat from my forehead after bundling him up like a cocoon.

“I’ll go get some clothes for you, so stay put. Okay? Explanations come after!”

I gave him stern instructions, pressing down on the wriggling Ahin. I had managed to avert the immediate crisis of his nudity, but I couldn’t let my guard down around Ahin, whose next move was always unpredictable.

After a few half-hearted struggles, he seemed to give up quickly, burying his face sideways in the bed. A faint smile played on his lips. Silver hair that had fallen across his face partially obscured his slender, curved eyes.

“Why are you acting so surprised when you’re used to this?”

“…Doesn’t Ahin have any sense of shame?”

“I don’t think a rabbit with lecherous eyes should be saying that.”

“W-What’s wrong with my eyes…?”

“Your ears are almost red.”

I rubbed my eyes and covered my flushed ears with both hands.

That lecherous black panther. It was infuriating how well he knew the effect his face and physical advances had on me.

I glared at Ahin and started backing away.

“A-Anyway, I’ll go borrow some clothes.”

“From whom?”

I hesitated, unable to answer his question immediately. If I were to find someone with a similar build to Ahin…

“-Alan Fredian?”

“Rejected.”

The pleasant smile on Ahin’s face crumbled rapidly.

“I’d rather stay like this than wear Alan’s clothes.”

“I can’t allow that!”

I shook my head vigorously and rolled my eyes.

Somewhere to get clothes… For a moment, a shop where I could find clothes that fit Ahin’s build flashed through my mind.

“I’ll be right back, so don’t even think about running away.”

“Why would I run away from Bibi?”

I ignored his tempting words, quietly opened the door, and stepped out.

The door closed completely, with Ahin waving his hand playfully through the crack.

* * *

A uniform shop located in the academy’s shopping district. Fortunately, I was able to find a uniform that fit Ahin’s build there.

As I secretly moved towards the carriage where Evelyn was waiting, I bit my lip tightly.

From the side effects of the drug to coming to the academy and being thrown into a cauldron. Immediately after hearing the whole story from Ahin, I was overcome with extreme regret and despair.

‘Why the hell was he in a cauldron?’

As the saying goes, you shouldn’t pick up just anything on the street. The black panther cub, who had transformed into a crazy person, made my heart complicated in many ways. It was partly because he hid his pheromones so perfectly that even Grandpa was fooled and couldn’t even suspect it.

‘Sigh….’

The days with the black panther cub flashed before my eyes like a panorama.

‘Now I know why he was so desperate not to drink formula.’

And that’s not all. He fainted right after kissing Grandpa, and when I read him fairy tales for emotional development, he looked at me as if it was absurd. And when I dressed him in dog clothes, his eyes were particularly dead.

There was a reason why the black panther cub sometimes had such a lonely look on his face.

The more I rummaged through my memories, the more I trembled with a sense of impending doom.

‘Hendry…. He knew everything and pretended not to know.’

I wondered why Hendry, who was usually so chatty, had been so quiet at the tea party. My feet, which had been stomping in indignation, gradually softened.

Even the fiercest beasts become like mice before Ahin. It was easy to understand why Hendry, a pig, pretended not to know.

My face turned red and then blue as I glanced sideways at Ahin, who was following me.

“You could have just told me; why hide it?”

“Bibi, I’m also human.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that sometimes I’m also embarrassed.”

Shouldn’t you reflect on your life before being embarrassed about becoming a baby black panther? I probably would never understand Ahin’s standards for embarrassment.

“…So that’s why you didn’t reply to the letter.”

“So, were you upset?”

Startled by the question, I replied in a small voice.

“Well, not really.”

“-Not really?”

“Actually, I was a little upset….”

At the same time, Ahin slammed his forehead against a nearby tree. The habit of hitting his forehead against walls or trees when he was overly happy or amused was still there.

It wasn’t necessary to fix it… but it was true that he looked a little strange.

“Ahin, stop it. Everyone’s staring.”

“Isn’t it weirder if they *don’t* stare when I look like this?”

Ahin, after finally ceasing his arboreal [relating to trees] forehead-banging, pointed to the gaudy, patterned wrapping cloth covering his head. Then, with a flourish, he adjusted the bizarre toy glasses perched on his nose, the ones attempting to conceal his tell-tale red eyes.

“I can’t even see properly because of these glasses.”

“…….”

Speechless, I gave Ahin a once-over. He was practically begging for attention with that floral wrapping cloth. Especially the sparkling, cartoonish eyes drawn on Russell’s toy glasses; they just amplified the absurdity.

“Ahin *swore* he’d never wear the cloak….”

“That’s because it’s *Bibi’s*.”

If he wore the hood attached to the cloak, he could at least partially conceal his appearance.

I trailed off, nervously fiddling with the edge of the cloak. Because I had packed my dormitory luggage in advance, I was stuck wearing the only cloak I owned.

“The carriage isn’t far, so just bear with it.”

“-Do I *really* have to hide my identity? The graduation ceremony is in two days.”

“That’s true… but no, absolutely not.”

I shook my head firmly, barely resisting his subtle attempts at persuasion.

“Why?”

“Grandfather is already stressing himself out preparing for the graduation ceremony. If you get caught, professors and nobles will be crawling out of the woodwork to find you, and what if he collapses from the added pressure?”

“The old man probably secretly wants to be found out. He’s just itching to brag about you.”

“Alright, alright. Come on, grab my hand.”

Ahin grumbled about not getting a tour of the academy but obediently took my hand.

“You said you needed to have a heart-to-heart with me.”

“We can do that in the carriage.”

Holding his hand tightly, I carefully guided him, as his vision was impaired.

Fortunately, it was a break from lectures, so the campus was relatively quiet. Moreover, unlike the past few days with their biting winds, today was the brightest day of the winter.

As I crossed the sunlit campus, I glanced back at Ahin, who was following a step behind.

Walking through the academy with him in his black school uniform gave me a strange feeling. Even though his face was hidden, replaced by the large, sparkling eyes of a bizarre figure.

Seeing the docile beast obediently following me, relying on my hand, made me think I was going just as crazy as Ahin.

“President, where are you go- Ah?”

“President, did you have lunch- Who… is that?”

“President, congratulations on graduat- What, what is that?”

The students who greeted me occasionally quickly scurried away as soon as they spotted Ahin. Ironically, concealing his face had the peculiar effect of warding off unwanted attention.

“Are you friends with the entire student body?”

Ahin, slightly lowering his glasses, remarked while watching the students disappear.

“It’s nothing like that.”

“They were greeting you left and right.”

“Everyone must feel comfortable around me because I’m a rabbit beastkin [a human with rabbit-like features]. Well, also because my identity hasn’t been properly revealed yet, maybe?”

“Is that so?” He asked, pushing up his glasses again before whispering into my ear, “Vivi, do you remember the first verse of imperial studies?”

“‘The first condition of a wise emperor is the charm to attract people…’ Wait. Why are you suddenly talking about imperial studies?”

“I’ve been thinking lately. Just like Evelyn said, maybe Vivi is the embodiment of a wise emperor,” he continued.

“Stop it.”

“I just think…”

“Don’t embarrass me any further.”

“Tease me moderately.” My face flushed, and I tightly gripped Ahin’s school uniform tie.

While we were bickering, I heard several footsteps approaching. Thinking it was an acquaintance, I turned to look, but my expression immediately hardened.

“Isn’t that the president?”

“What’s with her today? She’s walking on the path instead of through the bushes.”

It was a pack of hyenas from the academy, notorious for their delinquency. Faced with this unfortunate encounter, I slowly backed away.

‘They’re always loitering behind the campus at this hour. Why are they here today of all days?’

“The bushes?”

Because his glasses were obstructing his view, Ahin, relying on his hearing, asked quietly.

“It’s, it’s nothing.”

I shook my head, unable to tell him that I occasionally had to dive into the bushes to avoid those… individuals.

“Who is it?”

“Just… some hyena-like students who ran against me for student council president, but I won. Ever since then, they’ve been picking petty fights whenever they see me.”

“……”

“It’s okay. I can handle them.”

Ahin, who had been silent, quirked the corner of his mouth in a way that didn’t quite fit the situation.

“You’ve never mentioned that before.”

“Well…”

Because I was afraid you’d react like this. Facing him, who tends to smile intensely when he’s angry, I broke out in a cold sweat.

‘I can’t even imagine what he’s about to do.’

I should be grateful that the long sword that was always at Ahin’s waist was missing. I pushed Ahin back and blocked his path with my arms spread wide. Of course, I didn’t even cover half of what I had hoped.

Nevertheless, I stretched out my body as much as possible and said in a sharp voice.

“Move.”

Perhaps my uncharacteristically strong response had offended them, as the hyena beastmen’s mouths twitched distastefully. It was an understandable reaction, considering I usually turned into a rabbit and ran away.

“What’s this now?”

Their gazes naturally landed on Ahin, whom I was hiding behind. Their brows furrowed menacingly, as if on cue.

“Where’s that annoying capybara kid? Did you bring something even weirder?”

The hyena beastmen looked around for Russell, who was always clinging to my back. Then, they circled their index fingers around their heads, gesturing mockingly at Ahin.

“Don’t speak carelessly.”

The moment they targeted Ahin, my gentle demeanor vanished.

“You’ll regret it if you mess with him.”

“Cool, Bibi.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Ahin whispered to me from behind, just loud enough for me to hear.

“I like that kind of boldness too.”

“…Please be quiet.”

I composed my almost-collapsed expression and gave the hyena beastmen a desperate look.

‘Look closely, can’t you tell from the way I’m meekly standing here? He’s an incredibly dangerous psycho.’

I sent them a signal for their survival, but the hyena beastmen only sneered, asking if glaring was all they could do.

‘When did I ever glare menacingly…’ I thought, feeling unjustly accused.

I wanted to say more, but I bit back my words. These guys were always looking for a fight, and they weren’t the type to back down easily.

To make matters worse, they began to close in, tightening the circle around us.

Their large frames, typical of predator-class beastmen, cast long shadows. Instinctively, I stretched out my arm, trying to sound firm.

“D-don’t come any closer.”

“Oh my, are you two the rumored lovers or something?” one of them sneered.

“…Do you really think I’m protecting him? I’m doing this for *your* sake.” I emphasized, hoping they’d understand the danger.

“What, Bibi? Weren’t you trying to protect me?” Ahin’s voice, laced with mock disappointment, came from behind me.

‘What ridiculous delusion is he having now?’ I thought, dumbfounded. I spun around and grabbed both his wrists. If Ahin so much as flicked a finger, these lambs would be sent flying across the courtyard.

Desperately searching for an escape route, I felt a wave of despair wash over me.

“The chairman’s lover? Is he an academy student?”

“What’s with those strange glasses…”

“Isn’t that the toy Professor Jinan used to let his son wear?”

The commotion had drawn a crowd. Students, noticing the confrontation, had surrounded us. Dozens of eyes scrutinized Ahin’s academy uniform.

“Everyone’s curious about your bare face; why don’t you take off that bizarre thing?” one of the hyena beastmen taunted.

Perhaps aware of the growing attention, the hyena beastmen, now feeling bolder, started nudging and prodding Ahin. I was almost relieved they didn’t seem inclined to use their pheromones to influence him.

“I enjoy undressing, but not in front of you guys,” Ahin said.

Pushing things further, Ahin, who had endured their antics longer than I expected, warned in a low voice. “And you’d better listen to Bibi. He’s a rabbit who conquered the black panther’s territory with just one paw.”

“What nonsense is this?”

“He even swept through the lion’s territory recently.”

“Is this guy completely insane?”

‘Everything’s ruined,’ I thought. The situation couldn’t possibly get any worse.

Almost giving up, I offered a suggestion, my face pale with dread. “Um… it might be better for everyone’s mental health if you didn’t take off his glasses…”

People tend to want to do what they’re told not to do. Before I could even recall this old saying, Ahin’s glasses were snatched off and tossed aside.

“H-Heukpyobeom? [Black Panther]” The hyena beastman, confirming the exposed red eyes, flinched. However, glancing around at the reactions of the crowd, he quickly regained his composure and carefully scrutinized Ahin.

“That face… is familiar…”

‘Yes, that’s it. It’s only natural to recognize him, so please stop before you realize *who* he is,’ I pleaded silently.

Before my desperate wish could be answered, with a whoosh, the wrapping cloth Ahin had been wearing was yanked away. The hair that had been crammed inside billowed out, fluttering in the air.

A silence fell, heavy and deceptive.

The students, who had been staring blankly at the messy, soaring silver hair, slowly opened their mouths in unison. Half of them were still bewildered, while the other half seemed to realize it was the face that graced the front page of the academy newspaper every year.

It seemed his outlandish appearance within the academy walls had made it difficult to immediately recognize him as Ahin.

“Th-That…”

The hyena beastman who had yanked off the wrapping cloth also murmured, his expression bewildered.

“A-Ahin… Grace?”

“What.”

With that perfect confirmation, the sound of someone’s hiccups echoed through the air. As if it were a signal, deafening screams erupted from all the students, engulfing the entire academy.

* * *

Now that his identity was revealed, Ahin proposed an exchange: the safety of the hyena beastmen for a tour of the academy.

As the student council president, I couldn’t just stand by and watch the academy descend into complete chaos. Figuring it was best to make the most of the situation, I sent the hyena beastmen to the headmaster’s office—a small act of revenge—and took Ahin to the library. It was the least crowded place and my favorite sanctuary.

I settled into a seat by the second-floor window, using a book as a pillow, and basked in the warm sunlight.

The library was unusually quiet, as all the students had fled downstairs to avoid Ahin.

‘It’s a relief I got caught right before graduation, I guess…’ I thought.

To calm my racing mind, I tried to rationalize the situation, then turned over to face the other way. I immediately met eyes with Ahin, who was lying in the same position, staring intently at me.

After a moment of simply gazing at each other, I finally spoke.

“Are you okay? After drinking formula.”

“Are you asking that on purpose to embarrass me?”

“…Maybe.”

It was petty revenge for him hiding the fact that he was a baby black panther. Contrary to my expectation that he would be ashamed, Ahin replied without the slightest hesitation.

“At first, it tasted awful, but it wasn’t so bad since you were the one feeding it to me.”

A clumsy beast. Instead of replying, I wrinkled my nose. Ahin smoothed out the wrinkles on my nose with his thumb, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Still, dressing me in dog clothes was too much.”

“It’s better than being cold, isn’t it?”

“And on top of that, dangling a doll on a string and shaking it. Did you really say you’d eat me if I didn’t catch it?”

“I was playing with you. And don’t you remember what you did to me, Ahin?”

The more I retorted, the more giggles escaped me.

To think that the potion to understand the other person would actually cause the side effect of physically turning Ahin into a baby black panther. In a way, it was the perfect side effect, allowing me to understand half of what I was like when I was a baby rabbit.

“Hey, Ahin.”

I stopped giggling to myself and hesitated for a moment. There was a topic that had been bothering me ever since Ahin turned back into a human.

“…You heard everything from the conversation with Professor Jinan, right? About the child.”

“I was right next to you, so I couldn’t help but hear.”

Ahin wore a faint smile that was hard to read.

“It’s not that I didn’t tell you on purpose. It’s just… I thought it might be a sensitive issue for you, Ahin.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already asked my doctor for the same thing.”

“Really?”

My eyes widened, but soon narrowed with suspicion.

“When did you get my hair…? No, wait, it was when I turned into a rabbit that you plucked my fur for that, wasn’t it?”

“And I got kicked in the face while I was at it.”

“…….”

“It was electrifying.”

We were still glaring at each other, lying prone, when the corners of our mouths simultaneously curled into smiles.

“Anyway, it’s a relief, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Bibi [likely a term of endearment or a character’s name] said that it would be nice to have a daughter like a black panther and a son like a rabbit.”

“No, I’ve changed my mind now.”

I pressed my lips into a firm line.

According to Professor Jinan, a child born in the future is likely to have both dominant and healing pheromones. Even if a future general were born wearing a cloth diaper and wielding a weapon, it wouldn’t be surprising.

“Just one is enough, only one.”

I resolutely stretched out my index finger.

He agreed without further comment and gently took my hand. As our hands met, Ahin slowly stroked the back of my hand with his thumb.

“More than that, there’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Since when have you been having nightmares?”

“Nightmares? What are you talking about… Ah.”

Only then did I recall last night, when I was tormented by nightmares, and a sense of ‘uh-oh’ washed over me.

Should I make something up, or should I tell him the truth? Before I could decide, he seemed to already know everything.

Considering the circumstances, Ahin must have been the one who placed the soaking wet towel on my face.

Eventually, I gave up trying to hide it and cautiously began to speak.

“Actually, I’ve been having them occasionally since Ahin bit me back then. Ah, but it’s not like I have them often…!”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you have a nightmare.”

“It’s mostly in the winter at the dorm…”

“So, like yesterday, you always hid under the covers alone and trembled?”

Ahin slowly moved his hand and gently stroked my cheek. The warmth of his hand spread through my cold skin.

“I didn’t teach you to hide under the covers for that reason.”

The large hand cupping my cheek brought an indescribable sense of stability. I felt like I was about to cry, so I frowned for no reason.

‘If you hide under the covers, you can hide the pain.’

It was undeniable that I was usefully employing the method Ahin had taught me someday.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?”

“…….”

“You didn’t tell me because it’s just a dream anyway, and you knew I’d worry.”

Ahin mercilessly pointed out my inner thoughts as I silently resisted. Feeling unfairly stung, I avoided his gaze and feigned innocence, so his finger gently twisted my nose.

“Ouch.”

“…I’m the same way.”

“What?”

I blinked, not immediately understanding Ahin’s words.

“Me too. Every winter, I feel uneasy about your mother’s bedroom where you disappeared, and I’m afraid of the scar on your neck that I see whenever you tie your hair up.”

He continued speaking in a calm, low voice, as if he were telling someone else’s story.

“I just… I don’t want to, but I avoid it. I keep seeing Vivi collapsing in front of me, bleeding.”

Everything Ahin said echoed and resonated in my ears.

I felt the same way. In the winter, when my breath fogs up in the cold air, the memories of that day would always come crashing back.

The cold marble floor, the clattering of surgical instruments, the silence of the empty bedroom, the lonely scent of winter.

Every single one became a sharp pain, putting all my nerves on edge.

Tracing back the memories that were fading slightly, I opened my mouth a beat late.

“…So, that’s why you avoided me.”

“I’m sorry. I thought it would end if I handled it myself.”

He readily apologized, slowly removing his hand from my cheek. Then, he clasped my hands again.

“The year and a half that Vivi disappeared was so terrible that I never want to repeat it. It was enough to make me unable to think straight.”

Ahin unable to think straight. I was afraid to even guess how difficult that must have been for him.

“I wondered if you were never coming back. If you were sick of me. If that was the case, what should I do?”

“That’s not possible….”

“Right. So, I even wondered if you had really become a dancer wandering the continent.”

Who keeps calling me a dancer? My eyes narrowed, and I twisted my wrist to bend Ahin’s hand back.

“Ouch,” he said, laughing weakly as his fingers were bent.

With a merciful heart, I released him, and Ahin then intertwined his pinky finger with mine.

“I promise.”

“What…?”

“I won’t hide my fears about that day anymore. So, Vivi, don’t hide yours either.”

“……”

“Whenever you have a nightmare, I’ll wake you up.”

I could feel my eyes trembling as I stared at our intertwined pinky fingers. A fresh wave of gratitude washed over me, knowing I had someone I could completely rely on.

“I promise too. But,” I began.

Because my throat was choked up, I hesitated for a long time before finally speaking with difficulty.

“You can’t bet the rabbit’s liver….”

“-That’s a bit….”

Acting like a ferocious beast obsessed with livers, my tears completely vanished. I shook off Ahin’s hand.

Still huffing, my gaze lingered on Ahin’s face, which was still turned upwards. One of his cheeks was reddish from lying down the whole time we were talking.

My cheek must be like that too.

Imagining our cheeks red side by side, I couldn’t help but smile, the corners of my lips tilting upwards.

“Why are you smiling?”

Ahin, asking that, also made a sound like a sigh escaping. It seemed his smile was spreading to his face.

For a long time, we giggled without knowing why, then we looked at each other. Naturally, laughter burst out again.

Ahin’s face, which was always so flawlessly beautiful it made me angry, looked strangely funny today.

Wiping away the physiological tears from laughing with my index finger, I advised,

“Shh. Just smile with your mouth; we’re in a library.”

It was the student council president’s fate to maintain order, even in ridiculous situations.

“Bibi, there’s no one here anyway.”

That’s right. Reminded of the fact that the students had disappeared to avoid Ahin, I looked around at the numerous books surrounding us.

The library, empty of people, was quieter than I had imagined, and the sunlight streaming through the windows was warm.

Perhaps it was the unique atmosphere of the library, or perhaps it was because I had relieved some of my worries. My heart, strangely calm like a lake, made me ask quietly.

“Hey, Ahin. Do you know what?”

“I probably don’t.”

“Hendry says that if you talk about love here, you’ll never break up.”

It was a somewhat childish legend that could be found in any academy. Nevertheless, I wanted to believe it now, so I lay back down and smiled brightly.

“Love…”

*Thump.* Before I could even finish the word, Ahin moved and came closer. It happened in an instant—my neck was pulled gently, and our lips lightly met and parted.

Frozen in that state, I blinked blankly. The way he straightened his body after leaning down seemed to be happening in slow motion.

As if nothing had happened, Ahin returned to his original position and buried his face in his arm.

A languid, low voice pierced my ear.

“When I was young,”

Before I could even gather my senses, he continued,

“I didn’t understand when my father said my mother was his everything.”

“…….”

“I think I know now.”

Ahin quietly pulled a stack of books, creating a barrier between us.

“Bibi is my everything.”

Why do even cliché expressions sound so profound when Ahin says them?

I felt frustrated that I couldn’t see his expression because of the books stacked like a wall. As soon as I pushed the books away, Ahin’s face, smiling purely, was etched into my eyes like a painting.

“Now that I’ve confessed my love, Bibi can never escape for life.”

It wasn’t a pretense, hypocrisy, or a dangerous smile. It was the purest smile I had ever seen.

In contrast, my face was a mess as I bit my lip tightly.

I shouldn’t cry at a time like this. Nevertheless, the dimple of truth on my chin only deepened.

Ahin was always like this. Bursting into my space without warning, coiling up and settling down as he pleased.

I doubt I’ll ever forget this moment. It’s etched in my memory forever.

“Bibi, did you know? There’s a window seat on the second floor of the library. Legend says if you confess your love there, it seals a lifelong bond.”

“Hendry, did you just make that up?”

“…Bibi always knows when I’m teasing.”

A new winter memory layered itself on top of a winter that had only been filled with pain.

* * *

The day before graduation. Valence, Lillian, Ahin, and Evelyn visited a tombstone they hadn’t seen in a while.

Edith Grace. They placed flowers down, silently looking at the name clearly engraved on the stone.

How long had they stood in silence?

Hic, sob. Lil, who had come along as a coachman, broke the silence with a stifled cry.

“Why is that gorilla acting like that?”

“I don’t know…”

Valence and Lillian glanced back at Lil, unsure why she was crying, and then stared back at the gravestone.

After a long moment of silence, Lillian spoke with a regretful tone.

“Wouldn’t it have been better if our rabbit [referring to someone they affectionately call ‘rabbit’] had come with us?”

“We should come together again. But if that child comes, she’ll probably act like that….”

Valence, who had been mumbling, pointed behind her. The tender-hearted Lil was crouching, her massive frame struggling to contain her tears.

Lillian, quickly agreeing, nodded repeatedly.

“It’ll be a flood of tears if she comes. Well, we’ll come together from now on, so it’s not bad to have a quiet moment for the last time.”

Again, a silent moment of contemplation fell over them. Lillian, who had been staring at Edith’s name, clicked her tongue with a rather dissatisfied expression this time.

“How could that son of a gun go before even seeing his child’s betrothal ceremony?”

“I know, right? If he were alive, he would have liked Bibi a lot, too.”

“Don’t even mention it. I bet he would have been grinning from ear to ear, letting the rabbit [a term of endearment] ride on his back and crawl around.”

Lillian, who was making such claims, was practically clapping and praising Bibi for even blinking, let alone crawling around.

*Why do Ahin and Lillian always assume crawling as a given?* Valence didn’t bother adding anything.

“Tsk, blind affection is poison to the rabbit, too. A child should be raised strictly!”

Valence, who had been staring at him as he spouted passionately, nodded in agreement and said.

“I see. As you say, excessive affection is poison, so I should put the portrait of the dancing rabbit up for auction soon.”

“How much? I’ll buy it now.”

“…….”

“…….”

Lillian, belatedly embarrassed, kept clearing her throat.

“Ahem, ahem-”

“Expressing emotions honestly isn’t something to be ashamed of, Father.”

Valence chuckled softly, taking out a handkerchief and handing it to Lillian, who was standing behind him.

“Father, you should be careful not to shed tears like that gorilla beastman at the betrothal ceremony… Oh, my?”

Just then, a large bird’s shadow fell over them as they were talking.

*Whoosh-* An eagle owl, Hilla, Valence’s messenger bird, crossed the sky at tremendous speed and crashed into the bushes around the tombstone.

“It’s a letter from the leader of the Lion Territory.”

She patted the dazed Hilla and unfolded the rolled-up letter. It was the Lion Territory leader’s reply to the betrothal ceremony invitation sent in advance.

“He says he will definitely attend the betrothal ceremony. And…”

Valence’s expression changed ambiguously as she read the letter.

“Leona Manients wants to urgently tell Bibi something?”

“No, why does that dangerous person want to talk to our rabbit [a term of endearment]?”

Lillian jumped up and immediately turned to Evelyn, feeling like she somehow knew the reason.

Evelyn, who was receiving Valence and Lillian’s undivided attention, said without inflection.

“It seems that the rabbit showed off his might at the Manients mansion some time ago.”

“Showed off his might? Are you saying our rabbit had a bloody battle there?”

“Similar. He defeated Leona Manients’ elite knights.”

“What is this… !”

Lillian, as if hearing something she shouldn’t have, dug at her ears and snatched the letter from Valence’s hand. Leona Manients’ handwriting followed the Lion Territory leader’s message.

As Lillian slowly read the letter, her whiskers began to tremble. Her wrinkled skin flushed red and purple as time passed.

Rip, crack. Eventually, the thick letter tore in two like a dry cane.

Just what was in Leona Manients’ message? Curious eyes focused on Lillian.

“…He says he’s very impressed with our rabbit’s power. He wants to arrange an engagement between *their* descendants in the future.”

“Crazy. A lion, of all things?”

Ahin, openly sneering, placed his hand on his sword and began to walk somewhere. It was in the direction of the Lion Territory.

“Oh dear, that’s a dangerous thing to say. Absolutely not.”

Valence, wearing an icy smile, followed Ahin with elegant steps.

“I’m saying the same thing. Lions daring to… my great-grandchild!”

Lillian, already burning with anger over a great-grandchild she didn’t even have, followed suit.

“L, Leader. Ahin. Lillian… !”

What if they charged into the Lion Territory like this? Unable to stop them, Lil fidgeted and hurried after them.

Suddenly left alone, Evelyn calmly gazed at Edith’s tombstone. Since Edith passed away, this was the first time there had been such a commotion in front of her grave.

Whether to be happy or sad, Evelyn couldn’t decide.

Certain that Edith would be pleased, Evelyn placed the rabbit doll she had made for Ahin in front of the tombstone. It was a tattered rabbit doll, worn from its service since Bibi’s return.

‘Edith is surely responsible for turning Ahin into such a rabbit fanatic,’ Evelyn mused.

Why did she have to gift a rabbit doll of all things? Evelyn, who had been respectfully honoring the deceased, suddenly recalled what Ahin had asked her recently.

‘When did my father buy me a rabbit doll?’

Come to think of it, why *did* Edith gift a rabbit doll and not a black panther or anything else more fitting?

It was such a distant memory that only the recollection of being frequently hit by the flying rabbit doll floated in her mind.

‘Why…?’

Her body grew restless with sudden curiosity, but the tombstone remained silent.

* * *

Graduation day at the Bellhelm Academy’s central plaza.

Standing on the platform, I looked down at the lined-up graduates. Their gazes were directed solely at the rear, not at the platform.

There, Ahin, Valence, Evelyn, Maymie, Lil, Queen (who had returned to human form), and even the black panther family, including Ash, Bara, Shu, and Bion, were all seated side by side in a rare and somewhat intimidating combination.

Even though Ahin’s existence had already been exposed yesterday, everyone who visually confirmed the rumors was experiencing a mix of emotions, ranging from disbelief to awe.

“Ahem, ahem. Um…, excuse me….”

Repeatedly clearing my throat was just a sound in the silence, with no one paying any attention.

‘Can I proceed like this…?’

The graduates were practically twisting around, their jaws hanging open in disbelief.

Russell, in the far corner, was already scattering flowers as if the graduation ceremony had concluded. Beside Valence, the painter was sketching furiously, their arm a blur of motion.

‘Grandfather, what should I do?’

Surveying the chaotic scene, I turned to my grandfather seated to the right of the platform. My hope immediately evaporated.

“Our little rabbit is graduating….”

My grandfather dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief, acting as if the academy itself was shutting its doors for good. He was already clapping enthusiastically, as if the ceremony had reached its finale.

Our little rabbit… our little rabbit….

I could hear him muttering the phrase repeatedly, but I desperately didn’t want to decipher its meaning.

My face paling, I turned forward again, and my eyes met Valence’s. She offered a small wave.

‘Valence….’

*My dear, congratulations on your graduation.* Just reading her lips bolstered my courage, and I slowly parted my own.

“One spring day, we passed through the main gate of Bellhelm Academy together.”

Thankfully, as I began my speech, the graduates’ attention shifted back to me.

As I spoke, I gazed at each familiar face in turn.

“Thanks to the knowledge and experiences gained at Bellhelm Academy, we have been able to be reborn as more radiant and mature individuals.”

Grandfather, Valence, the detestable Evelyn and Quinn. Mayme and Lil. Professor Jinan and Russell. And….

As I was about to finish the last paragraph, something suddenly poked my butt.

‘Wh-what is it?’

Startled, I turned around to see Ash, who I had no idea how he’d gotten up there.

‘Ash?’

I thought he was with Lil at first, but I hadn’t seen him for a while. It was a stroke of luck that Ash wasn’t visible from below because he was hidden by the platform.

*What am I going to do with this unruly black panther?* I looked around, but there was no one important enough to drag Ash off the platform without causing a scene.

‘Are you really going to do this?’

I asked with my eyes, silently pleading, but Ash acted innocent and plopped down right there.

*Was it just wishful thinking to believe Ash was backing me up because I was nervous?*

Having no choice but to continue the speech, I looked forward again.

“…So, I hope that only infinite glory and progress lie ahead for all the graduates.”

After delivering the final sentence, I subtly curved my lips into a smile. My gaze settled on one person.

“Valedictorian, Student Council President Bibi-”

I announced, my eyes locked with Ahin’s.

“-Grace.”

Pop! As the valedictory address concluded, the raccoon clan set off fireworks that painted the sky.

The sound of the fireworks echoed, a muffled reverberation spreading through my chest. It was a momentous day, one where I finally found my true name.

* * *

The sound of the waterfall and birdsong behind the shrine mingled, drumming in my ears.

Ahin stood in the rabbit territory’s shrine, a place he remembered visiting once before.

With the stone wall engraved with the beast god behind him, Ahin slowly moved forward. An unknown, mysterious force was pulling at his feet.

“This is…”

Stepping out of the shrine, an unreal vista unfolded before his eyes.

*Is this a dream…?*

Swaaa- Ahin blankly stared at the dogwood tree with its scattering, light purple leaves, then quickly turned around. He had sensed an unknown presence.

Turning his head, he saw Ash and Vara approaching him.

“……?”

Ahin frowned, staring at the bundle of cloth Ash was carrying. Judging by the way it swayed as he moved, it seemed like something was inside.

Without hesitation, Ash walked up and held out the bundle of cloth to Ahin. Once again caught off guard by his intentions, Ahin’s hand naturally reached out and accepted it.

*What is this?*

Without any expectation, Ahin unwrapped the cloth, and his eyes widened.

It was a baby with silver hair and light purple eyes, clearly a rabbit beastkin.

“Kyaa.”

The baby, who resembled Bibi in some ways, wiggled its tiny hands and reached out.

As if compelled, Ahin leaned his head toward the baby.

“Ugh,”

The tiny fist struck his chin with surprising force. Then, as if satisfied, the corners of its mouth slowly turned up in a smile.

*Why does this baby have my arrogance in its eyes, yet look so much like Bibi?* Just the composure to smile after punching him made it clear this was no ordinary rabbit.

Lost in these absurd thoughts, Ahin inadvertently looked up at the sky.

This time, Queen, also holding a bundle of cloth, was circling overhead.

*What is she up to?*

Barely registering a strange sense of unease, Ahin watched as Queen suddenly released her grip on the bundle.

“That birdbrain…!”

Ahin, who had been running while looking at the sky, barely managed to catch the falling bundle.

Inside was a baby with white hair and red eyes, presumably a black panther beastkin.

*…Me?*

The baby, whose features closely resembled Ahin’s, covered its mouth with its tiny hand, a look of utter horror on its face.

*Ah, this one is definitely a crybaby and a coward who can’t even speak.* Looking down at the struggling child, Ahin felt an intuitive certainty.

“Shhh-”

Rarely flustered, Ahin began to soothe the two babies.

The rabbit beastkin patted its belly like a well-fed predator, while the black panther beastkin cried loudly like a hunted herbivore. *They’re complete opposites,* Ahin thought, *a black panther acting like a rabbit and a rabbit like a black panther.*

Gyaa. Moreover, the grip with which it pulled on Ahin’s silver hair was enough to make even a seasoned general weep.

“…I’d appreciate it if you let go.”

Helplessly having his hair pulled by the two babies, Ahin inadvertently looked up.

Dong, dong. The sound of bells echoed from the top of the temple, as if giving a blessing.

* * *

“……!”

Huffing, Ahin gasped and abruptly sat up.

His hand, searching for the vanished babies, groped at soft fabric. It was the hammock he had been lying in until just before he dozed off.

‘What…’

He then recalled that he was on a commemorative trip to the edge of the continent after the wedding. Bibi, tired of the excessively grand wedding and Lilian’s fuss, had insisted on going to a quiet place for their trip. Thanks to that, the edge of the continent, where mermaids were said to exist, was so peaceful and secluded that even Ahin had fallen asleep without realizing it.

“Hah…”

Ahin, pressing his fingers to his eyes, let out a dumbfounded laugh.

*It was just a dream?* It wasn’t some divine revelation. It was just a pipe dream that even Ash, Bara, and Queen would laugh at.

Despite the lingering disappointment from the dream, Ahin’s thoughts soon turned to Bibi, and he looked around for her.

His gaze swept over the blue lake that stretched out to the sea, finally settling on a figure. It was Bibi, sitting primly on her knees on a rock.

‘Her face…’

Ahin thought she looked a little tired. Then he remembered their activities from the previous night and morning, and decided this level of fatigue was understandable.

‘-What’s she looking at?’

Naturally, Ahin’s gaze followed Bibi’s. He saw mermaids, their bodies mostly submerged in the lake.

The mermaids, known for their docile nature, tilted their heads back, revealing curiosity as they shook their wet hair. Their blue skin and otherworldly eyes were captivating.

Bibi, who had only been making eye contact, seemed to gather her courage. She placed a hand on her chest.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Bibi… no, a rabbit.”

Ahin, who had been watching from his hammock, facepalmed as soon as he heard that bizarre self-introduction.

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

Didn’t she realize she already looked like a rabbit to everyone? The sight of her formally introducing herself as, ‘Hello, I’m a rabbit,’ with that appearance was so absurd he felt like he was losing it.

“A rabbit is a land animal that looks like this… Ah, but that doesn’t mean I’m *completely* a rabbit.”

Bibi tried earnestly to explain her identity, even gesturing with her hands to mimic ears. But the mermaids, whose language was entirely different, only tilted their heads in confusion.

*Ears are long, and fur is fluffy.*

She, who had been passionately trying to communicate, suddenly turned her gaze. Ahin, who was lying on the hammock and trying to suppress his laughter, came into view.

“Ahin!”

Bibi, having finally coaxed the mermaid to the surface, waved her hand excitedly. Ahin, who had barely managed to stifle his laughter, raised his hand in response but suddenly paused.

‘…That’s strange.’

He had a distinct feeling of déjà vu.

‘I think Dad said she’s a beastkin [a person with animalistic features] who hasn’t fully undergone humanization yet.’

A faint voice echoed in his mind, and a distant sense of familiarity washed over him.

‘Ahin, you mustn’t handle baby rabbits carelessly. They’re more fragile than we are.’

It felt like a memory from his distant childhood, a half-forgotten lesson. He felt like he was on the verge of recalling something important.

Hadn’t a similar memory surfaced before?

“Ahin, what’s wrong?”

He, who had been staring blankly at his hand, snapped out of his reverie at Bibi’s call.

“-It’s nothing, I just haven’t fully woken up yet.”

*I’ll think about it later.* Ahin, after smoothing down his messy silver hair, waved his hand dismissively. Bibi responded by waving both hands even more enthusiastically, clearly thrilled about their long-awaited outing.

“The mermaids even gave me pearls as a gift!”

…*I’m getting anxious.* Ahin’s expression gradually darkened as he watched Bibi swaying in response to his gestures.

“Ah… !”

“Bibi!”

In an instant, his vision blurred.

Just as he thought her tilting body looked precarious, Bibi desperately flailed her arms, nearly slipping off the rock. The panicked mermaids shrieked and circled the lake.

She rotated her arms at a speed that left afterimages, and after a moment, she barely regained her balance, flashing a grin…

He, who had frozen in place, about to rush forward, couldn’t help but chuckle along.

*What’s the point of coming to a quiet place for a commemorative trip?* She was a rabbit who, it seemed, would ensure there was never a quiet day if they were together.

* * *

Ammon Estate.

A season when breaths turned into white puffs in the air. It was the day of harmony between the leader of the Rabbit Territory and the leader of the Black Leopard Territory.

Taptap. Having shaken off Idis, four-year-old Ahin dashed through the round pillars. The Rabbit Territory leader’s mansion had a rather unfamiliar structure compared to the Grace Estate.

The busy feet soon stopped in front of a large marble door. More precisely, in front of an unfamiliar creature he was seeing for the first time.

‘What is this?’

It looked like cotton stuffing for a cushion, or perhaps a puff of white dust.

Curious, Ahin crouched down and began to observe. It looked like an animal, but it was so small it was hard to compare to the black leopards commonly seen at the Grace Estate.

Ahin, carefully watching the highly suspicious creature, pursed his lips.

“Oone?”

The creature’s fur beneath its eyes was damp with tears. Usually, Ahin would have ignored it and walked past, but for some reason, he felt rooted to the spot and tilted his head.

“Why are you crying?”

As if understanding the question, the white fluff trembled.

The creature hesitated, then stood up, leaning against the marble door beside it. It was a gesture as if asking to be let in.

‘Was it stuck outside because the door was closed?’

Squeak. Uncharacteristically, Ahin readily opened the marble door a crack.

“It’s been a while, Mrs. Luer.”

“Oh my, Head! I heard the news, you had a grandchild the other day, didn’t you?”

The laughter of noblewomen never ceased through the slightly opened door. It seemed the Rabbit Territory nobles were having a tea party.

The small creature, visibly brightening, hopped inside.

His moment of concern was short-lived, as soon the fluff peeked its head out through the door again. The creature politely folded its front paws, hesitatingly hiding and reappearing behind the door.

“Are you trying to say thank you?”

What on earth is this? Ahin mumbled in a lisping voice, crouching down once more to engage in a staring contest.

“Is it food?”

Casually reaching out, the cowering creature moved its rear backward to avoid him.

“It’s not food; it’s a baby rabbit.”

A low, deep voice echoed from behind Ahin.

Idith, who had finally found Ahin wandering around, bent down and sat beside him.

“Hey, what’s with the ‘baby rabbit’?”

“Ahin, what on earth is that title? You can’t call your dad that.”

“Why? Grandpa calls Dad ‘Hey you’ every single day.”

“Ha, Father, really-….”

*Even though I’ve told him many times to watch his words and actions in front of Ahin,* Idith muttered, lightly sweeping back his flowing platinum blonde hair.

“Dad, so what’s the baby rabbit?”

Ahin pointed to the baby rabbit that was only peeking its head out from the crack in the door. The baby rabbit also seemed quite curious about Ahin and Idith.

“This is the Rabbit Territory. Just like black panthers live in the Black Panther Territory, rabbits gather and live here. Most rabbits look like that.”

“Then is that baby also a beast-human like us?”

“Maybe? Dad thinks it’s a beast-human who hasn’t gone through humanization yet.”

*Because a real rabbit would usually run away as soon as it spotted a black panther beast-human,* Idith guessed, slowly stroking his chin.

“Can’t we eat it?”

“Well, couldn’t we eat it?”

Idith, vaguely questioning, stopped Ahin, who was fidgeting, eager to touch it. The baby rabbit, having roughly understood the meaning, was sending a sharp look. It was a fierce momentum as if it would bite if they tried to eat it.

“-What is it?”

Was his vision a little blurry from fatigue?

Idith rubbed his eyes, seeing the shadow of a triumphant general in the tiny baby rabbit.

“That rabbit… might not be just a rabbit.”

A fellow who’s going to be big. The baby rabbit had a countenance that could shake the continent with its spirit alone.

“Dad, isn’t it a rabbit? You just said it was a rabbit.”

“I was almost overwhelmed by its spirit… No, never mind. Anyway, Ahin, you shouldn’t touch baby rabbits carelessly. They’re fragile beings, unlike us.”

“Then what should I do?”

“You have to greet it, like this.”

Idith spread his hand and waved it at the baby rabbit. “Hello.”

Ahin stared blankly at his palm, which he had spread out, mimicking Idith. As the son of the chief, and having only met Iblin as a peer, this was an unfamiliar way of greeting.

“…No.”

“Why?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing.”

In the end, Ahin, unable to bring himself to greet the rabbit, awkwardly scratched his cheek.

As he sat crouched with his hands resting on his knees, the baby rabbit, having slightly lowered its guard, peeked further out from behind the door.

“Hello.”

As if returning the greeting, the baby rabbit wiggled its front paws, causing a bashful Ahin to tug at Idith’s cravat [a type of neckwear].

“Ahin, Dad’s suffocating, I can’t breathe.”

“Did you see? The rabbit greeted me—”

“Bibby, what are you doing outside?”

Just then, a noblewoman’s voice drifted through the crack in the drawing-room door.

“Don’t wander around, it’s dangerous. Come here at once.”

Startled by the call, the baby rabbit darted back inside, disappearing from sight. Ahin stared blankly at the now-empty doorway, crestfallen.

“It abandoned me… And I even went to the trouble of opening the door for it, the first time I’ve ever done that for anyone.”

“Are you disappointed?”

“A little.”

“It can’t be helped. It seems that baby rabbit is a beastman [a human-like creature with animal features].”

Idith, meeting his gaze, comforted the dejected Ahin.

“Let’s go to the back garden instead. They say the Amon family raises plenty of rabbits there.”

“…I don’t want any rabbit but that one.”

“That rabbit is likely a beastman, though. You saw it understood what we were saying.”

“Anyway, I don’t like it. My mind is very firm right now.”

“How firm is it?”

“As firm as Evelyn.”

Ahin, as resolute as Evelyn, stubbornly swung one foot back and forth.

‘This stubbornness must be from Valence’s side of the family,’ Idith mused, a faint smile gracing her lips.

“Let’s go now; Mother will be waiting. How about we buy a rabbit doll at the store on the way back to the estate?”

“You’re trying to bribe me with a doll, aren’t you?”

“Ahin… Where on earth did you learn to talk like that?”

Little did Idith know that she would be plagued by Ahin’s unwavering rabbit fixation from that moment forward. She started walking.

As he walked, hand-in-hand with her, Ahin glanced back, a strange feeling of longing tugging at him. Just then, his eyes widened as he saw the rabbit cautiously poking its head out from the doorway.

‘If I don’t do it now…’ This time, Ahin didn’t hesitate. He gently waved his open hand.

‘Hello.’

As if responding, the rabbit drew a small arc in the air with its front paw.

Ahin walked backward, his gaze fixed on the bobbing white fluff. He couldn’t help but find the sight of it losing its balance and tumbling onto its rear end amusing.

‘Funny rabbit.’ Soon, Ahin’s lips, which had been pressed into a firm line, curved into a bright smile.

‘I hope we meet again someday.’