Feeling frustrated, I poked my head out of Ahin’s pocket. By now, I was getting used to being carried around in it.
Today, as I looked up at Ahin’s even more radiant beauty, I glared at Everine who was following behind us. The anger from earlier still hadn’t subsided.
“Master Ahin, Lord Rabbit is glaring at me with sharp eyes.”
“Vivi, glare at me too.”
I wish this pair would just keep their mouths shut. Annoyed, I turned my gaze forward. As I took a deep breath, the scenery finally came into view.
‘So there’s a separate ballroom.’
I thought I had looked around during our garden stroll, but the path we were on now was unfamiliar. Although the situation was absurd, I was secretly curious since it was my first ball.
‘If Ahin goes with me, who will be Madam Valence’s partner?’
Lost in thought, I suddenly wondered about Madam Valence. Being the head, does she not need a partner?
Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Ahin’s father even once since we arrived here. Reaching a rather grim conclusion, I touched Ahin’s jacket with a sad face.
“Vivi?”
A predator’s territory is a place where it wouldn’t be surprising for anyone to die at any moment. I felt sorry for having thoughtlessly considered a pain that wasn’t mine.
Of course, my intention didn’t get through, and Ahin tilted his head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Perhaps she’s urging us to hurry.”
Everine, be quiet. I gestured with a pointed paw, and he nodded in understanding, stroking his chin.
“You’ve learned to command already. How touching.”
Ugh. If I interacted with him any longer, my head might start to ache from stress. As I tucked my paw back in and calmed down, Everine spoke again.
“Master Ahin, may I ask why you chose Lord Rabbit as your partner?”
Surprisingly, a sensible question came out of his mouth. I, too, was curious about the reason and listened closely.
Among all the beastfolk who had taken human form, why did he specifically choose a bunny as his partner? Even Everine seemed unable to understand this part.
“If you have a partner, you don’t have to dance.”
It was a clear answer, but it was essentially an excuse to slack off using her as a pretext.
Realizing this at the same time, Everine and I exchanged exasperated looks. It was almost the first time we were on the same page.
* * *
Eventually, we arrived at a place with an indescribably grand iron gate. The red velvet-covered door looked doubtful whether even a beastfolk’s strength could open it.
Unlike the rabbit territory, which was rich in crops, the black panther territory was filled with wealth and riches, and this door made me realize that anew.
“Greetings to the future head.”
Upon confirming Ahin, the knights opened the door without even a security check.
As the interior was revealed, a magnificent chandelier and countless beastfolk came into view.
I stared blankly at the scene, and when a faint scent brushed past my nose, I stiffened.
‘Hey, did you know? This time, the young master of the Gleta family fell in love with our fourth lady.’
‘What? Where?’
‘Where else? At the head’s birthday banquet last month.’
Judging by the conversations of the maids that always followed the ball, this place was not only a social gathering but also a venue for finding partners.
That’s why everyone was dressed extravagantly and subtly emitting pheromones. Pheromones can induce sexual attraction, after all.
Therefore, the scent now was essentially a collection of faint pheromones emitted by the beastfolk. Realizing this made my heart tighten, just like last time.
“In the future leader’s pocket….”
“Is it a doll?”
“No, it seems to be a live rabbit….”
As Ahin moved, the murmurs grew louder. Inside the ballroom, I felt like I was receiving the most attention I ever had in my life.
Although they weren’t blatant due to Ahin’s status, I could feel most eyes were on me in the pocket.
The situation had already become complicated when the gatekeeper announced the entrance of Ahin Grace and Lord Rabbit. Why did they have to specifically mention me? Just announcing Ahin’s name would have sufficed.
It was probably Ahin’s doing. While I sighed deeply, he cheerfully said, “Vivi, it’s your first time with the tiger clan, right?” as if he were giving me a tour of the predators.
‘This idiot….’
Swallowing my retort, I peeked out with just my eyes and ears from the pocket. The ballroom was filled with beastfolk who were clearly predators.
The bigger problem was the strange queasiness I felt upon entering this place. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was peculiar.
No one else seemed to react to the pheromones, so why was I the only one feeling this way?
“Dear.”
While lost in various thoughts, I heard a lazy yet welcoming voice.
‘Madam Valence.’
She, in her blue dress, made her way through the crowd. I cautiously looked around but still couldn’t see anyone who might be Ahin’s father.
Facing Madam Valence with her silver hair tied up, I glanced back and forth between her and Ahin. It was my first time seeing them together, and their atmospheres seemed subtly different.
“I heard you almost had a major incident. I just returned this morning, hence I only saw you now.”
‘Thank you for your concern.’
Unable to respond verbally, I lifted my paw from the pocket to show my gratitude. She approached slowly and clasped her fingers with mine.
“Mother, you’re too close.”
A low voice rumbled from above as the distance between them narrowed.
“I’m not thrilled about touching you either, Ahin. How could you let the wolf commit suicide? Your handling of the situation was poor.”
“The place that allowed the wolf to intrude was also your residence, Mother.”
Though they smiled pleasantly in public, the conversation between the two beastfolk was far from affectionate. It even felt like invisible sparks were flying.
‘Are they not on good terms?’
I gave up trying to understand their minds as I looked back and forth between them.
From the beginning, Madam Valence didn’t seem to reproach Ahin for bringing me to the ballroom. Maybe she was used to Ahin’s eccentricities. The latter seemed more likely.
“Dear.”
Choosing to ignore Ahin, Madam Valence nudged his shoulder with her fan and smiled. It somehow resembled the smile Ahin always wore.
“I personally hung the head of the wolf that chased you at the front gate. It should serve as a warning.”
‘What?’
Despite her gentle expression, her words were terribly ruthless. Her raised voice caused a stir among the surrounding beastfolk.
Soon, I even heard murmurs saying, “The head hung in the iron cage… was from the wolf clan,” confirming it to be true.
‘At the front gate… A wolf’s head at the front gate?’
Had they really hung a severed head at the entrance of a noble estate? Imagining the sight of a severed head hanging there made my face turn pale.
Moreover, because they mentioned that the wolf had chased me, the beastfolk’s eyes focused on me. It seemed like a warning that it wouldn’t be fun to mess with this rabbit.
The commotion grew louder. Standing at the center of shocked gazes, I was endlessly torn between gratitude and fear.
* * *
The night of the ball deepened. Many eyes still lingered on us, but the nobles did not dare to approach Ahin.
Was it because we spun around in tune with the music as if we were actually waltzing? Or was it because of the piles of hay on the banquet plates?
From these two reasons alone, it was clear that the nobles were deliberately keeping their distance. If I were in their shoes, I’d avoid getting involved, knowing it wouldn’t bring any benefit.
‘This guy is the real deal.’
Even at a ball, with countless eyes watching, Ahin was displaying such eccentricity. Perhaps it wasn’t the dance but Ahin’s mind that was spinning round and round.
I rested my chin on the edge of the pocket, taking shallow breaths. While Ahin’s behavior was problematic, a strange unease had been creeping up from my feet.
My stomach was queasy, much like before, but not to the point of being unbearable. Still, since I wasn’t feeling well, I thought it might be better to return to the bedroom.
‘Left front paw for emergency.’
‘Right front paw means Ahin should come.’
I recalled the signals Ahin and I had agreed on in my confused mind. It would be best to leave this place.
Just as I wiggled my front paw to call him, a flat voice reached my ears.
“Most of the tiger clan has blue eyes. The hyena clan has black eyes. Try to understand the power structure.”
Looking up, Ahin wore his usual formal smile. He tilted his chin towards two beastfolk conversing nearby.
Blue eyes and black eyes. Upon closer inspection, the hyena beastfolk seemed to be in a quite submissive position.
“The tiger territory is a place where weapons flourish. On the other hand, the hyena territory nearby lacks minerals and smelting skills, naturally forming a hierarchical relationship.”
Since this was new information, I stuck my head out to observe them. The further the territory was from the rabbit territory, the less information we had.
“Hyena beastfolk are especially easy to identify by their dark skin.”
Indeed, the hyena beastfolk had black eyes and dark skin, making them the easiest clan to identify among the beastfolk at the ball.
Positioned at the outskirts, Ahin continued to share characteristics of various clans. As I moved my gaze to observe according to his explanations, I found it curious why he was pointing this out.
‘Why?’
Deep suspicion arose. As time passed, Ahin treated me more like a capable rabbit than just a pet.
‘Why tell me?’
There seemed to be no benefit in teaching me such information. Watching him silently, the red eyes wandering around the hall met mine.
Ahin’s serene smile vanished, replaced with an expressionless face that occasionally surfaced. It was harder to read his true feelings when he wasn’t smiling.
Facing his murky expression felt like a sharp blade was pressed against my throat, bringing a surge of tension.
“Vivi.”
His voice broke the silence, making my body shudder. The overwhelming tension dissipated. Ahin, who had erased his emotionless expression, tapped my nose lightly.
“What if the pocket tears because of the weight?”
‘…I’ll bite you.’
This obnoxious black panther, I will definitely bite him. Just as I made this new resolution and was about to open my mouth, I sensed a presence.
“Sir Grace, it’s been a while.”
In front of us stood a beautiful beastwoman with long, crimson hair matching her fiery red eyes. Despite the strange atmosphere of avoiding Ahin, she boldly approached him. Nobles standing at a distance had their pupils trembling, seemingly thinking the same thing.
“Bringing a pet as your partner, you remain as charming as ever.”
As her red lips parted, her fangs glistened.
Instinctively shrinking back, I peeked out from the pocket and watched her. It wasn’t charm but rather eccentric behavior, but it’s all about how you frame it.
“It would be nice if you visited the fox territory sometime. I’m quite disappointed by your constant refusals.”
“I fear I might become prey for the foxes.”
“It would be even better if you became mine.”
Her eyes roved over Ahin with a subtle tone.
“I’ll pass.”
The conversation, incomprehensible from a herbivore’s perspective, continued. Moreover, as the conversation progressed, a thick pheromone began to emanate from her.
It was a dense type carrying a sexual meaning. Unwittingly inhaling it, a splitting headache surged through my head. I hastily covered my nose with my front paw.
“Let’s look forward to the next time.”
The conversation didn’t last long. As she walked away after the greetings, Ahin slowly explained.
“That was from the fox clan. Polygyny is common in their territory, and she already has five husbands.”
‘F-Five husbands?’
Five husbands, how impressive. Shocked, I stared at her retreating figure for a long time.
As she disappeared into the crowd, the feeling of suffocation returned.
This time, the pain was so intense it made my body involuntarily bend. Desperate, I raised my right front paw.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing the signal, Ahin took me out of his pocket and asked. Struggling on his palm, I urgently pointed to the ground. Please put me down, please.
“…Vivi?”
Catching on quicker than expected, Ahin bent down and set me on the floor. The moment my paws touched the ground, I started running madly.
“Vivi!”
I heard Ahin’s shout from behind.
“Oh my!”
“What is happening?”
Startled nobles raised their feet, but I had no time to look back. I dashed across the hall in an instant and ran through the open door.
Fortunately, the hallway beyond was lit, allowing me to see. Suppressing the turmoil in my stomach, I ran down the corridor without stopping.
‘Could it be….’
Could it really be? The impossible hypothesis began to dominate my mind.
Collapsing through an open door, I fell to the floor. The pheromones were rampaging through my body as they did before.
It wasn’t this bad at the start of the banquet, but after encountering the fox beastwoman’s deliberate pheromones, it was undeniably worse.
Unable to endure the unbearable agony, I rolled and thrashed about. The intensity of the pain was even greater than last time.
‘Ow.’
Tears welled up in my eyes. Curled up and gasping for breath, I blinked several times as my vision blurred. Blink, blink, through the fractured view, white hair came into focus.
Exhausted, I lay on my side, blinking. White hair spread out haphazardly over the cold marble floor. Staring at it in a daze, I felt the pain gradually subside.
‘White…’
My mother and Kyrie also had such colored hair. When neatly combed or braided, I envied it.
The hair shone brightly under the lamp light, and as I gazed at it, I reached out with my front paw. Then, another hand, whose owner I did not know, filled my vision.
The soft texture of the hair brushing against my paw felt incredibly vivid. Realizing this, all my thoughts came to a halt.
‘Hand…? Sensation…?’
Why did this unknown hand feel like mine? Why?
Frozen for a few seconds, I suddenly grabbed the white hair and stood up. There, below me, were limbs and a body, distinctly human.
As I tentatively felt my body, the contours and sensations sent chills down my spine.
‘No, this can’t be. Get a grip.’
A human body—this was truly absurd. Almost fainting, I shook my head vigorously and looked around the room.
Though the lamp was lit, the place seemed unused with only a few pieces of furniture. My wandering eyes settled on a mirror in the corner.
Rising quickly, my legs gave way, and I collapsed with a thud. The sharp pain from my bent bones made me wince. Reflexively clutching my legs, I looked down at my trembling hands.
‘Hands!’
Five fingers on each hand. It was a sight beyond my wildest dreams.
Finally, I crawled across the room. I wasn’t ready to walk on two legs. I’d spent my entire life running on four.
With all my strength, I reached the mirror. In it was a girl I’d never seen before. She looked about eighteen, around Ahin’s age.
Staring in bewilderment, I hesitantly reached out towards the mirror. The girl in the mirror mirrored my movements, reaching out as well. The identical actions sent a shiver down my spine.
‘Ah!’
I instinctively slapped the mirror, and the girl widened her eyes in fear. The hard surface stung my paw.
‘…A human,’
My lips, under my rounded nose, trembled. Sitting there, staring, I finally faced the unbelievable reality.
‘I’ve become human.’
The girl’s violet eyes in the mirror trembled finely.
* * *