Several hours ago, after being bitten by Ahin, I began to feel unwell. My breathing was labored, my stomach bloated as if I had overeaten, and now my head throbbed painfully, as if being squeezed.
‘Ugh…’
As I tossed and turned, a sudden wave of nausea overcame me. Could I have caught a disease? With this chilling hypothesis in mind, I eventually couldn’t bear the pain any longer and abruptly opened my eyes.
My blurry vision soon captured a clear landscape. Across from me, Ahin’s figure was visible, the blanket pulled up to just below his chin. Staring at him quietly seemed to ease the nausea a bit.
As I blinked, I stared at Ahin bathed in the crimson light of the lamp. Unlike his fierce nature, he seemed to feel the cold excessively, wrapped tightly in a white blanket today.
My gaze slowly shifted over his disheveled silver hair, long eyelashes, and neat facial features. Contrary to his usual eccentric temperament, his sleeping face was gentler and more orderly than any herbivorous beastman.
‘Really.’
It would be really nice if he was like this even when awake. Regrettably, although the gods had bestowed Ahin with beauty, they had not granted him a pleasant temperament. Or perhaps all black panthers just inherently had screw-loose personalities.
It wasn’t a far-off guess; even looking at Everine seemed to confirm this theory. Carrying a book about cooking herbivorous animals in front of a rabbit was just twisted.
‘But Meimi and Madam Valence…’
Meimi was incredibly gentle except when preventing escape attempts, and Madam Valence was a remarkably good black panther, providing snacks until she was nearly bursting. Thinking of them, the anger swelling within me began to subside.
‘Try to take after them a bit.’
These irrational beasts. Internally cursing Ahin and Everine, my headache gradually began to fade.
As the pain that had been tormenting my body subsided, sleep finally overtook me. My vision became increasingly blurred as Ahin’s face flickered before my eyes again.
‘Vivi.’
The voice calling my name lingered in my ears. Somehow, coming from Ahin, even my ordinary name seemed special.
The more I dwelled on the events of the past month, the more questions poured out. Had Ahin, like Madam Valence, noticed my pheromones?
And why doesn’t he question the obvious oddities about me? Surely he doesn’t just see me as a mere pet. These disjointed questions cluttered my mind.
‘Aren’t you curious about my identity?’
In my fading consciousness, Ahin seemed to drift further away. My heavy eyelids fluttered as I unconsciously reached out with my forepaw towards his face.
But instead of the usual clump of white fur, I saw five slender fingers.
‘Fingers…?’
They were the human form I had often envisioned. Singing the song of humanization so much that I was even seeing illusions now. The absurdity of the situation almost made me burst into laughter.
Moreover, with my arm stretched out, my palm touched Ahin’s cheek. An excessively vivid warmth transmitted from the touched area.
‘…It’s warm.’
Even knowing it was an illusion, I didn’t want to pull my hand away. Tick, tock, tick, tock, time seemed to flow slowly. Staring blankly at the hand that could belong to anyone, my consciousness soon flickered out.
* * *
It has already been a month since the troublesome Vivi Rabian disappeared. While drinking tea, Vivi’s mother, Aven, looked out the window.
‘Why.’
No matter how much she thought about it, it felt unsettling that there had been no news from the workers who took Vivi away that day. At first, she assumed they were hunted by the black panthers in the forest, but the two beastmen had honed their martial arts well enough to handle one or two black panthers.
But it was strange to think they had fled disobeying orders. They had been loyal employees at the Rabian estate for over ten years; why would they run away just over a small rabbit? They said it was cursed, so it would be awkward to keep it as a pet or even use it for food.
Reading his mother’s prolonged thoughts, Kyrie Rabian, the second son, also looked out the window. He had just turned fifteen and had an innocent face that had yet to mature.
“Maybe they crossed the boundary and went too deep, and got hunted. Don’t worry about it, Mother.”
“Isn’t that forest close to the Grace family’s land? Perhaps the beastmen belonging to that family…”
“You think they might have found Vivi Rabian? That would be a relief. They must have dealt with it themselves.”
These sorts of things are openly happening among the nobility. Kyrie muttered nonchalantly as he sipped his tea.
Indeed, the head of the black panther territory, the Grace family, was renowned for its merciless nature. If the employees had been discovered trespassing, it wouldn’t be surprising if not only the employees but even Vivi Rabian had lost their lives instantly.
While agreeing with him, Aven couldn’t shake off a peculiar anxiety. Kyrie, noticing his mother’s worried expression, loudly set down his teacup.
“If it really bothers you, why not send a few people to investigate? If they were torn apart by black panthers, perhaps their corpses or bones might still be there.”
“…Yes. That might not be a bad idea.”
Aven quickly reached out and rang the bell to call a servant. The clear, ringing sound felt ominously unsettling at noon.
* * *
Was it a dream, or was it reality?
Fantasy, or truth?
Too vivid to be a dream, yet too implausible to accept as reality. Half-dazed, I rolled back and forth on the cushion.
The warmth and touch from last dawn were still vividly clear. At least at that moment, Ahin didn’t seem to be that large.
‘Just in case.’
I jumped up and dashed to the full-length mirror in the bedroom. Reflected in the shiny mirror was a small white baby rabbit the size of a fist. I was still a herbivorous animal that could easily sit in someone’s palm.
‘…Yes, this is me.’
Ha, I sighed deeply, resting my forelimbs on the mirror. Far from human fingers, I was just a familiar clump of white fur.
This appearance couldn’t possibly go anywhere in a day; the five fingers I saw at dawn must have been just an illusion. Moreover, there had never been a case heard or seen where someone transformed into a human and then reverted back.
“Vivi?”
Suddenly, hearing my name instead of the usual “Hey” or “Rabbit” felt unfamiliar and difficult to adjust to. When I looked up, I met Ahin’s eyes through the mirror, his brow furrowed. Unlike me, who had struggled with pain, he seemed to have woken up refreshed, his grey uniform making him look even brighter.
“Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?”
‘Why indeed. How could a black panther possibly understand these troubles.’
I looked up at him for a moment before sighing again in frustration. At that moment, the valet adjusting Ahin’s cravat glanced down at me with a start.
“What do you think is wrong with it?”
Ahin asked quietly, alternating his gaze between me and the valet.
“Yes, yes?”
“The rabbit. It’s sighing.”
The valet’s face seemed to say, ‘How would I know?’ but the expression quickly vanished. Indeed, it was a response befitting an experienced servant.
“Perhaps…”
He cautiously spoke up, just observing me sitting in front of the mirror.
“It might be hungry?”
“Hungry?”
“It looks a bit… gaunt.”
Where exactly are you looking? I sent an uncomfortable glance and lightly tapped the valet’s shoe tip with my forepaw. Your eyes must be quite faulty.
“It already had breakfast?”
Ahin also stared down at me intently. “You didn’t eat this morning, did you?” Avoiding his scrutinizing gaze, I shook my head vigorously.
‘Breakfast, what?’
It’s not about something as trivial as that. These concerns of Miss Vivi were not something that black panthers transformed into humans could possibly conjecture.
“There’s some merit to the idea that it’s hungry.”
“Yes?”
“It’s preparing to be eaten. Fattening up, that is.”
“Is, is that so…?”
“Vivi is always well-prepared.”
Why does it always get interpreted that way? Just as I caught a glimpse of Ahin’s lips in the mirror, a shiver ran down my spine. And then it struck me—it was almost time for Ahin to have his breakfast.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
No sooner had I attempted to flee than I was caught by the scruff. Lifted into the air in an instant, Ahin buried his nose near my neck before I could even resist.
“The scent of a lion,”
After a brief pause to breathe, Ahin pulled away and flashed a fleeting smile. Although it was outwardly a very pretty smile, to me, it was chilling to the bone.
“is completely gone.”
His red eyes glimmered with a touch of delight, yet his voice remained flat and emotionless. How much he must despise the scent of a lion. By now, I was genuinely curious about what that scent might be like.
As he buried his nose in my nape again to check the scent, he tapped my lower jaw gently.
“Vivi, if you come back smelling like that again, then…”
‘Then, then what?’
Unable to voice my question, I met his gaze with trembling eyes. Ahin, who seemed to contemplate his next words, finally put me down on the ground.
What then, just go on. I waited, my pupils dilating with anticipation, but Ahin, trailing off, checked his pocket watch and turned towards the door.
“I’m late for a meeting, I have to go.”
“Yes.”
The valet immediately responded and followed Ahin.
Just like that, he’s leaving? As I watched his retreating back in dismay, I frantically pawed at the carpet.
‘What about then?’
A beastman should finish what they start! As frustration mounted and I continued to roll around, I caught the eye of the valet just as he was about to exit the bedroom. Then,
‘Miss Rabbit!’
He mouthed silently at me, suddenly clenching his left fist in a gesture of support. Even going so far as to mime ‘Fighting!’ while patting his stomach….
Left alone, I sank into deep contemplation. Was it a fighting spirit wishing for my survival, or was he cheering for the preparation process of being eaten? The ambiguity made my feelings a bit complex.
* * *
Madam Valence had relayed that due to her packed schedule, teatime was impossible today as well. The estate had been unusually noisy these past few days; perhaps that was the reason.
As I passed through the hallway with Meimi, I happened upon her by chance and couldn’t help but brighten up with joy. It had been exactly three days.
‘Madam Valence.’
“Oh, it’s the first time you’ve greeted me so warmly.”
As her hand gently stroked my lower jaw, memories of the events at dawn flashed through my mind.
Madam Valence, having noticed my pheromones immediately, might be able to offer some advice. Unlike me, who had only learned through conversations with servants and books in the mansion, her insight was likely to be extensive.
Filled with hope, I pondered briefly after being set down from Meimi’s arms.
Last night, after Ahin had bitten my neck, I felt nauseous and had a headache. Then, in the early hours, I witnessed a scene that seemed almost like a hallucination. How could I explain this series of events?
‘In writing…’
It was impossible. I was exhausted just by writing the name Vivi, let alone taking up her time in the middle of the corridor with such matters. Resolutely, I approached the hem of her red dress.
“My dear?”
As I attempted to do something, Madam Valence and Meimi’s attentive eyes were fixed on me. Noticing their gaze, I slightly lifted myself up and opened my mouth, then mimicked the action of biting my paw.
‘Like this, I was bitten by Ahin,’
Could they possibly understand just from this gesture? Glancing surreptitiously, Madam Valence motioned for me to continue.
Encouraged, I proceeded with ease. Next, I flipped over and rubbed my chest and belly.
‘Since then, I’ve felt as if I have indigestion.’
Madam Valence carefully observed the process, and a flash of understanding seemed to pass over her piercing red eyes.
Had the message gotten through? Hopeful, I looked up to find her nodding reassuringly.
Then, snapping her thumb and index finger, Madam Valence issued an instruction.
“It seems you were lacking at lunch. Meimi, inform the chef to provide some hay sourced from the eastern territories.”
Meimi’s usually stoic face hardened even further, as if she felt guilty for not having detected my discomfort despite being by my side. She bowed deeply and responded in a solemn voice.
“Yes, Madam.”
That’s not what I meant. Frustrated, I stood up abruptly, prompting Madam Valence’s lips to curl into a charming smile.
“There, there, you seem satisfied now.”
It seemed she mistook my upright posture as a sign of happiness.
After parting from her, I was shifted from Meimi’s arms and looked out the window with a heavy heart. Despite the gloomy thoughts clouding my mind, the weather outside was sunny, with the sun high in the sky.
‘Nice weather…’
A sigh of frustration escaped me. Perhaps it was indeed difficult to convey complex thoughts while in a rabbit’s body. It was one of those days when my clumsy paws seemed particularly vexing.
* * *