With a breaking sound, the wooden puppet standing in the training ground shattered into pieces. A branch, sent flying by the shockwave, grazed Ahin’s forearm.
Blood seeped from his forearm, where he stood unflinching.
“Perhaps it would be best to rest from training for today.”
Everine, who had been waiting behind, looked on with concerned eyes. It had been just after the attack by the wolf clan the day before.
The wolf clan, possessing barren lands, had always covetously eyed the territory of the black panthers.
Crossing the boundaries rashly was not uncommon, but recently, the frequency of the wolf clan’s incursions into black panther territory had noticeably increased.
Thus, the chieftain of the black panther territory proposed that the wolf clan come under his command, a suggestion that the wolf clan vehemently rejected, aiming instead for the black panther territory itself.
Because of this, Ahin, the legitimate successor to the chieftain, found himself the target of unexpected attacks and assassination attempts.
“Excessive movement can strain the body. You’ve sustained an injury on your back.”
Turning towards Everine, who was attempting to dissuade him, Ahin licked the blood from his forearm.
“It’s healed.”
“…Pardon?”
“The wound.”
“Indeed, no one can match Master Ahin’s remarkable healing abilities.”
Although Everine replied with his usual flattery, he couldn’t hide her astonishment.
There was no way the wound that had been stitched just yesterday could have healed so cleanly by today.
Concluding it was just an excuse to wield his sword, he respectfully took a step back. After all, there was no changing Ahin’s stubbornness.
‘…He doesn’t believe me.’
Ahin, realizing Everine took his claim of being healed as a jest, slowly moved his hand to the area of the wound.
He himself would have taken it as a joke or nonsense. However, the healing of the wound was not a fabrication but a fact.
In the early morning, feeling an unusual lack of pain, he checked his back to find only a faint scar remaining.
Click. Ahin, after sheathing his sword, turned to Everine with a faint smile.
“Everine, investigate if there have been any noble families in the rabbit territory who have died or gone missing recently.”
The noble families of the rabbit territory? Stopped by the unexpected order, Everine quickly grasped its significance and bowed deeply.
* * *
I’ve been in this mansion for ten days already.
My daily life has always been the same.
Spend the day with Meimi when the time comes, and in the evening, endure Ahin’s harassment.
Sometimes, his confidant, Everine, would come to stir things up.
‘Master Ahin, you mentioned you want it grilled. For breakfast, perhaps?’
‘No, let’s hold off on eating it right away.’
‘Congratulations, Miss Rabbit. You’ve extended your life.’
Or,
‘Looking hostile again.’
‘To glare at Master Ahin, it must be an extraordinary person. Surely, it possess bravery surpassing that of common beasts.’
‘Is that so?’
‘Yes. I see the spirit of a general in it.’
That’s how it went. Thus, Everine became one of the most disliked black panthers in the mansion.
Occasionally, when Meimi was distracted, I attempted to escape, but invariably, a dagger would fly towards me, diminishing the frequency of my attempts.
I didn’t want to risk my life to a dagger when the chances of surviving outside the mansion were slim.
On a day no different from others, during my garden walk, a slightly different event occurred.
Sitting at a tea table in the middle of the rose garden, I was constantly on the lookout. Opposite me sat a mysterious woman who, at a glance, bore an uncanny resemblance to Ahin.
The silver hair twisted up and the slender, curved red eyes made it hard to believe she was unrelated to him.
“So, Meimi. This one is Ahin’s prey?”
The woman, sipping her herbal tea, initiated the conversation.
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
Ah, Meimi!
As I glared at her with dagger eyes, Meimi discreetly averted her gaze.
It wasn’t a lie. After all, Ahin had handed me over to Meimi without further instructions. Officially, I suppose the term prey was accurate.
“I heard rumors of a talking rabbit.”
“My apologies, but it seems there has been some misunderstanding. It can understand some of what is said, to an extent.”
“So, not entirely a baseless rumor then. I would like to spend a moment with this one, step back and wait.”
“Yes, Master.”
Master. At Meimi’s last word, I couldn’t help but let my composed expression falter.
As I thought, she resembled Ahin too closely. The title ‘Master’ implied that this woman was his mother and the head of the mansion.
“Child.”
Once Meimi had distanced herself enough that our conversation couldn’t be overheard, the woman’s smile deepened.
“Extend your hand.”
“And your feet.”
“Now, sit.”
Such bizarre requests. What on earth was she trying to do?
However, not in a position to resist, I extended my front and back paws, sitting and then lifting my hindquarters in repetition.
Ahin’s mother, watching my movements, stroked her chin contentedly.
“…Extremely cute. I see why Ahin keeps prey.”
The statement was chillingly casual. With those words, I went from emergency rations to being fattened up for eventual consumption.
‘Oh dear.’
Best not to try to understand it logically.
My legs gave out, and I slumped down onto the table.
She gently stroked my chin, wearing a soft smile.
“If you want to live long, try not to be too obedient to Ahin. My son, though he is, tends to be quite loose in the screws. Predators tend to swallow their prey once they lose interest.”
Her advice, despite the gentle face, was enough to induce fainting. Enduring being treated as prey required courage, but if I took her words to heart and rebelled against Ahin, would I not truly be bitten?
Ignoring her advice felt uneasy, too. Feeling dizzy, I pressed my paw against my temple as if to stave off a faint.
“Child, there’s more.”
At her yet unfinished words, I lifted my head, our gazes clashing in the air.
I averted my gaze from the intimidating red eyes symbolizing the black panther, but our eyes remained locked.
After gazing at me intently for a moment, Ahin’s mother casually mentioned.
“I just felt a very faint pheromone from you. Not now, but just before.”
* * *
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