Ahin and Everine, who had just returned from their trip, got out of the carriage. Stretching, Ahin immediately recalled the previous night.
Last night, he had intentionally brought a rabbit to a ball with many guests, so the rumor would soon spread by word of mouth.
Even if Valence noticed his intention or not, he had made a point of showing affection towards the rabbit, so the story would likely be exaggerated.
This meant that instead of waiting for rabbit beastfolks to cross the border, Vivi’s family, upon hearing the rumor, would probably attempt to make contact.
It would be unfortunate if Vivi’s family, being reclusive nobles or at the end of the nobility line, did not hear the rumor.
“Master Ahin, I feel terribly upset that you’ve had many secrets from me recently.”
Everine, observing Ahin who was lifting the corners of her lips, began to speak.
“Especially regarding Lord Rabbit. It pains me deeply that you haven’t told me anything.”
In truth, Ahin had been particularly private about anything related to the rabbit. He even acted indifferently despite knowing that the rabbit was an eighteen-year-old beastfolk who hadn’t yet transformed into a human.
“Everine, does it really hurt that much?”
When Ahin turned around, Everine had his hand over his heart, looking genuinely pained. With his neat, expressionless face, he looked like the epitome of a loyal subordinate. In fact, many of the Grace family’s employees were deceived by this face.
“Of course, it’s an exaggeration.”
“I thought so.”
Ahin, feeling a sudden impulse to cut his lips, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Lips.”
“Yes.”
Finally, the atmosphere became peaceful. Ahin raised his eyebrows at Everine and began walking again.
After walking for about ten minutes, they saw Meimi in the distance, standing respectfully with her hands clasped.
It was supposed to be time spent with Vivi. Naturally, Ahin’s gaze searched the ground for the fluffy ball.
“Meimi?”
“I greet you, Master Ahin.”
As Ahin approached, Meimi bowed deeply. Looking around, they saw a white fluffy ball moving busily in the middle of the training ground.
Ahin and Everine, squinting at Vivi, had puzzled faces.
“Meimi, I told you to avoid outside activities while the lion is in the mansion.”
“I apologize. …She insisted on visiting the training ground.”
Why would a rabbit be at the training ground? The three beastfolks turned their gaze back to Vivi. She was earnestly engrossed in something.
As they continued to watch, Vivi half-rose and began striking the air with her front paws.
“What is she doing?”
At Ahin’s question, Meimi hesitated before opening her mouth. In truth, she had been watching for over an hour but couldn’t figure out what Vivi was doing.
“I think I know. She’s probably training.”
“Training?”
Ahin and Meimi blankly questioned Everine’s sudden assertion.
“I was slapped by Lord Rabbit, and the accuracy, speed, and angle were all precise.”
Recalling the previous evening, he touched his cheek.
“Even Lord Manionts couldn’t speak when he was kicked. The movements of someone at a high level scolding with just a hind leg.”
Indeed, the slap was strong enough to make a loud noise when hitting Rune’s lips. Despite knowing it was nonsense, Ahin and Meimi strangely agreed and looked back at the training ground. Swish, swish, this time the rabbit was kicking the air with its hind legs as if it were really training.
“Everine, then what is that gesture?”
“It’s a somersault.”
Meimi, who was skeptically watching, suddenly looked down at the familiar black beast at her feet.
“Ash?”
Ash, the most intelligent and upright female black panther under Ahin’s command, had suddenly appeared, causing Meimi’s expression to change to one of confusion.
She should be kept in the forest bordering the rabbit territory, so why was she at the mansion? Noticing her confusion, Ahin bent down to pet Ash’s head.
“It’s hard to catch Vivi if she decides to run away.”
He recalled the rabbit that had crossed the ballroom in an instant. Especially since Vivi had particularly quick footwork, it was quite difficult to chase her in human form.
However, transforming back was quite troublesome for a beastfolk. Therefore, he had brought Ash along for both surveillance and protection.
“Ash.”
The black panther purred in response to the call. Petting her neck, Ahin pointed to Vivi in the center of the training ground.
“From now on, that rabbit is your master.”
Master. Ash, understanding the meaning, turned her gaze to the resolute Vivi rolling on the ground. Her black tail swayed gently in the air, showing friendliness.
“You must never let her get hurt.”
Ahin gave a slow, deliberate command, releasing a subtle pheromone. Ash, inhaling his pheromone, rose to her feet in response. Her light footsteps headed towards Vivi.
* * *
While I was deeply engaged in pheromone training in the training ground, I took a breath. A mysterious energy spread and took over my body. It was clear that the amount of pheromone had increased significantly compared to when I first practiced with Madam Valence.
‘Huh?’
As I was rejoicing alone, a large shadow suddenly loomed over me. A foreboding feeling made me turn my head, and I felt my blood run cold.
‘Why…?’
Why was there a black panther at the mansion? I vaguely wondered and then remembered that this was black panther territory. It meant that it wasn’t strange for those who handled black panthers to be here.
The black panther, perhaps considering me an easy meal, didn’t lower its body but slightly opened its mouth. Its exposed fangs were terrifying.
‘…I need to run away.’
But my legs were frozen and wouldn’t move. Moreover, the large beast blocked my view, so I couldn’t see Meimi.
For a moment, I thought it might be the true form of a beastfolk, but it didn’t make sense for it to be in the mansion in such an inconvenient form.
Shivering, I recalled the pheromones I had been practicing just a while ago. Trained pheromones could supposedly knock out several strong men at once.
‘Move, move.’
I stretched out my front paw and released the maximum amount of pheromones I could muster. The black panther suddenly collapsed in place as if it had lost all its strength. My pupils dilated in shock at the unexpected reaction.
‘Did it really work?’
As if to prove it, the black panther’s head drooped to the ground. Then, its wet tongue licked my cheek. Experiencing the sky turning blue, I started to run madly.
‘Aaaah!’
It seemed that it wasn’t just affected by the pheromones but was considering me as a snack. When I looked back, the black panther was bouncing after me as if playing tag.
‘Is it toying with its prey?’
It was clear that black panthers, whether beastfolks or animals, had bad hobbies. Driven by survival instinct, I ran faster than usual.
In my frantic sprint, I finally saw Meimi with her hands neatly clasped.
‘Meimi, help me!’
Why was she just watching? She should pull out the dagger hidden in her apron. Contrary to my desperate wish, Meimi took no action.
‘…Does she mean for me to survive on my own?’
My hopeful face quickly darkened. No matter how I thought about it, surviving a black panther was nearly impossible. Just as I was about to throw myself at her, Meimi bent down and extended her arms.
‘Meimi… ugh!’
As I was gaining speed, I screeched to a halt.
Focused on Meimi, I hadn’t noticed that Ahin and Everine were standing right next to her, arms outstretched.
Stopping in front of them, I quickly changed direction and clung to Meimi’s shoe tip. Thankfully, a somewhat rough hand lifted me into the air.
“Lord Rabbit, this is Ash, the black panther who will be your bodyguard from now on.”
Meimi introduced the black panther, now standing close by, with her remaining hand. For someone who didn’t joke, it was hard to believe.
‘What nonsense is this!’
Bodyguard or not, it felt like I was going to be eaten alive. The black panther, as if confirming Meimi’s words, rubbed its head against her leg.
My gaze, looking down at the horrific scene, fell on Ahin and Everine. Clearly, there were no other culprits capable of such a stunt.
“Why is it always Meimi? Vivi never clings to me.”
Ahin, with a hardened expression, voiced his blatant displeasure. Considering the previous occurrences, I glared at him with piercing eyes.
“Thanks to Lord Rabbit, this Everine is feeling lonely.”
‘What are you even talking about?’
On the verge of losing my sanity from anger, I glared fiercely at Everine. Cutting off my glare, Ahin approached and took me from Meimi.
“Vivi, I’m feeling a little upset right now.”
Ahin’s voice was chillingly cold. Was he going to scold me for being held by Meimi instead of him? It was a ridiculous hypothesis, but it was something he would do.
“Keep that look only for me.”
Then, a statement that was difficult to understand in a normal context slipped out. Stunned, I faced him blankly while being held in the air.
‘What…? The look of disgust?’
What a pervert. As I slightly opened my mouth in speechlessness, Everine crossed her arms and nodded. Her neat black hair swayed with the motion.
“I had a feeling.”
…What did you have a feeling about? Exhausted from anger, I shifted my gaze to the black panther, Ash, standing behind them.
Her black tail swayed gently in the air, making her seem quite docile. Terrifying as she was, she seemed better than these guys.
* * *
After finishing a meeting with Valence, Ahin, and the leaders of the Grace family, Rune strolled through the garden. No matter how much he thought about it, the rabbit beastfolk he encountered three days ago was suspicious.
Her hair, seemingly unkempt, hung down to her knees, and she was wrapped in a blanket while naked in an uninhabited room.
Determined to investigate, Rune walked to the back of the mansion and stood beneath the window of the study. The security around the rabbit was tighter than expected, leaving this as the only route.
After checking his surroundings, he quickly climbed up to the third-floor window sill.
‘…Am I tired? Am I seeing things?’
Perched on the open window sill, Rune rubbed his eyes. Even so, the unchanged scenery made his golden eyes tremble with a momentary quake.
‘What is that?’
Another strange sight had appeared. The suspicious rabbit beastfolk, Vivi, who claimed she wasn’t a rabbit, was reading a book larger than her body in her rabbit form.
To make matters stranger, a fully grown black panther sat on a chair, looking down at the book with her.
‘Is this a dream?’
The only thing that seemed real was Meimi, who had noticed Rune’s presence and was fiddling with something under her apron.
However, her red eyes glowed with an unwelcome light, still regarding him as the would-be rabbit kidnapper.
Rune’s golden eyes continued to tremble as he maintained his composure. Unable to believe the scene even though he saw it with his own eyes, he turned his body back outside.
It seemed it would be better to return after adjusting to this strange mansion.
* * *
Drying his damp hair with a towel, Ahin frowned.
“Vivi, why is your pheromone so thick?”
‘My pheromone?’
Avoiding the clinging Ash, I stiffened. It seemed to be the result of the intensive pheromone practice over the past few days.
I thought I had managed it well, but it seemed I couldn’t fool Ahin’s nose. He grabbed me as I tried to escape and placed me on his palm.
“Stay still, I’ll hide it for you.”
‘No, no!’
Panicked, I pushed Ahin’s approaching face away with my hind legs. He must be planning to bite my neck and cover me with pheromones like last time.
‘Absolutely not!’
If he inhaled the pheromones, there was a chance I’d temporarily turn human again.
Not yet, no. There had to be another way to cover the scent of pheromones, like what I had done before.
Ahin seemed not to catch my desperation and wore a dangerous smile.
“I told you yesterday. Try not to let others find out you’re a beastfolk.”
He seemed to want to keep the fact that I was a beastfolk a secret from others. While it wasn’t bad for me to be cautious, letting him bite my neck was definitely not an option. As I continued to resist, Ahin’s smile faded.
“Ash.”
Before I could process my foreboding feeling, Ahin called Ash, rubbing his fingers together. The beast, lying under the bed, rose and sauntered over.
“Vivi, make your choice. Would you rather end up in Ash’s mouth or be bitten by me?”
‘You beast!’
That’s not fair! My eyes narrowed fiercely, clinging to his fingers. Ahin seemed oddly pleased, his red eyes glinting.
“The way you glare at me is thrilling.”
‘You, you…!’
Before I could curse him out in my mind, my vision shook. Anticipating what was to come, I held my breath.
Just like before, his fangs lightly bit into my neck. The water from his damp hair dripped onto my body due to the close distance.
The feeling of his teeth nibbling at my neck was so chilling it made me want to faint. Holding my breath, the torturous moment finally ended as Ahin’s lips pulled away.
‘It doesn’t… hurt?’
Confused, I opened my eyes slightly. Unlike before, I didn’t feel suffocated or nauseated, confirming that avoiding the pheromone was the correct move.
With one mystery solved, my eyes gleamed with a newfound determination.
* * *
A strange sensation of suffocation woke me. It felt like something was pressing down on my throat, not from within, but externally.
‘Uh….’
It felt like something was tightly squeezing my neck. Groaning in discomfort, I opened my eyes to find Ahin’s lips right in front of me.
Frozen for a moment, I realized why I couldn’t breathe. His arm was so heavy. Ahin was deeply asleep, pinning me beneath him. I brought my front paw to the solid arm around my neck,
‘Wait, it’s not a paw?’
Five fingers were gripping the silver robe draped over Ahin. Even the stray white hairs scattered on the bed came into view.
As soon as I recognized him, I stifled a shriek. I was sure I hadn’t ingested any pheromones, so when did I transform into a human?
‘Could it be some sort of immunity?’
If it was due to the pheromones changing because of the proximity. I couldn’t help but think it was truly a terrible thing.
It meant there was a risk of turning into a human at any moment.
Moreover, since I had not gone through the process leading to humanization, I swallowed my regret at the hypothesis that I might turn back into a rabbit.
‘I can’t breathe.’
Unable to make a sound, I first concluded that I needed to get out of Ahin’s arms.
As if he were always cold, he had pulled the blanket up to his chin and, in his sleep, wrapped his arms around my neck seeking warmth.
It felt like I was really going to suffocate and die.
‘Well, first of all….’
As I carefully tried to move my body, I suddenly stopped at a strange sensation. The feel of the gown against bare skin and the firm body made me tense up. My ears were burning hot.
‘…How do I get out of this.’
The lips right in front of me were the problem. The distance was such that I worried my eyelashes might brush against Ahin’s if I blinked.
I closed my eyes tightly to block my vision and recalled the prayer of the shrine. Oh, gods, please punish me for my gaze that keeps drifting to his lips.
Calming my pounding heart, I began to move my body again, cautiously and carefully.
‘Done, I did it!’
After a few minutes of struggling, I finally managed to turn my body to the opposite side. As I sighed in relief, I met Ash’s eyes under the lamp’s light.
The beast’s eyes, met in the dim light, were quite eerie. I froze, thinking Ash might be wary of me in my human form.
If she made a loud noise. As I faced her without being able to avoid her gaze, I began to feel a strange sensation. Somehow, Ash’s eyes seemed dazed and unfocused.
“Ash…?”
I called Ash in a voice as small as an ant’s, but there was no response. It was as if she was intoxicated or dazed.
‘Could she be sleeping?’
Are there beasts that sleep sitting up with their eyes open? My mind grew complex, and I stiffened at the breath that brushed my nape.
Just as I thought I was free from the arm around my neck, I felt Ahin’s warm breath as he stirred behind me. Trying to keep an eye on Ash and focus on the movement behind me was making me dizzy.
Then, as Ahin rubbed his hair against the nape of my neck, making me startle, a plausible suspicion arose.
‘Is he not sleeping?’
After all the times I’ve been tricked. On the first day I arrived, he woke up suddenly and commanded me to cry, and the second time, he pretended to sleep until my paw was stuck in his mouth.
Considering Ahin’s skills, there was no way he wouldn’t notice the noise I was making.
Could it be he was trying to tease me again? Feeling indignant, I tried to get up but then timidly wriggled and burrowed back under the blanket. I was in no condition to put on any clothes.
‘What should I do….’
The hypothesis that Ahin might be awake made my heart pound wildly.
Wasn’t it surprising that I had turned into a human? Or perhaps, had he glimpsed my changed appearance at the ball?
Unable to find an answer, I turned my back to Ash once more. Soon, I saw Ahin’s beautiful face lying diagonally.
It was a face that always filled my vision, but now that I was human, I could see his tangled silver hair and the neckline leading down from beneath his ears. He was just sleeping, yet there was something indecent about it.
Unlike the delicate herbivorous beastfolk, the carnivorous ones had their unique, splendid appearance. Come to think of it, Everine was a beauty if he kept his mouth shut, and I had heard the employees gossiping that Rune was also considered beautiful.
After much hesitation, I finally parted my lips to speak softly.
“…Ahin.”
I called Ahin’s name directly with my own mouth. Feeling suddenly shy, heat rose to the tips of my ears.
But he, who seemed to be in a deep sleep, breathed evenly without any reaction.
Frowning as I watched, I mustered a bit more courage and spoke again.
“Ahin?”
Even after not just a few seconds but several minutes, there was no response.
At this point, it was genuinely suspicious. With a doubtful look, I carefully reached out my hand.
My hand, cutting through the air, felt a soft sensation. Startled by the unfamiliar feeling, I withdrew my hand from Ahin’s face and bit my lip.
Eventually, I lightly slapped his cheek, but there was no sign of him waking up.
‘Not even this wakes you up?’
With a confused look, I slapped him again, but there was still no significant reaction. Although the force was weak, given his usual temperament, he should have woken up immediately.
‘Is he really… sleeping?’
Staring blankly at Ahin, who was breathing steadily, I turned to look at Ash behind me. This time, her head was spinning as if she were a drunk.
Something was definitely strange. Feeling bewildered, I suddenly felt the pheromones inside my body moving actively. I didn’t know when it had started, but it seemed I had unconsciously been releasing pheromones.
‘…Could it be?’
Panicking, I hastily tried to gather them back and shrank my body. Surely not, surely not. Had my latent ability somehow manifested?
‘It feels good to smell your scent.’
‘Being with Vivi makes me not want to get up.’
My trembling pupils darted between Ahin, who was buried in the bedding trying to sleep, and Ash, whose head was swaying. If my guess was correct, my pheromones were truly lacking in charm.
Sure enough, not long after I gathered my pheromones, Ash’s head stopped spinning.
Unlike Ahin, who had inhaled the scent at close range, Ash had only faintly caught the dispersed scent, so she seemed to recover her senses quickly.
Faced with this unbelievable sight, I opened and closed my mouth in shock. Could my pheromones be…
‘…A sleep-inducing ability?’
It was absurd. It was a completely unremarkable and unheard-of ability.
The more I thought about it, the more my eyes drooped. Well, after all, being an unheard-of rabbit myself, it wasn’t strange that I had peculiar pheromones.
I bit my lips nervously, and my shoulders jerked in surprise. Ash had approached and was now resting her chin on the edge of the bed, staring at me.
‘Go away.’
Go! Still afraid of Ash, I reached out my front paw—no, hand—and waved it wildly.
Contrary to my wish for her to retreat quietly, Ash growled as if displeased by something.
As her exposed fangs made me recoil, I felt Ahin’s breath again and froze once more.
‘What is this?’
I was trapped, unable to move. Holding my breath, I heard the growling noise again. I quickly sat up and put my finger to my lips.
“Ash, shh.”
Ash, seemingly understanding, immediately closed her mouth. She kept sniffing as if recognizing me by scent.
Relieved by the sudden silence, I slowly began to move. For some reason, it felt like I had been in human form longer than when I transformed near the ballroom.
First… let’s find something to cover myself with.
I glanced at Ahin and carefully crawled on the bed. Unlike when I was a rabbit, the bedding felt oddly soft and yielding.
‘Move, Ash.’
Ash was trailing me, moving wherever I went.
Despite waving my hand, Ash, with her chin on the bed edge, showed no sign of retreating. She looked like she was waiting for food to appear.
With a frustrated expression, I had no choice but to crawl diligently on the large bed.
Finally, reaching the edge, I cautiously extended one leg. As I descended, I made a soft thud and tumbled.
Startled, I covered my mouth, and Ash widened her eyes. She was about to growl again, so I gestured, “Shh, shh!” to calm her down.
‘Did I wake him?’
Lying flat, I lifted my head slightly to peek over the bed edge. Thankfully, Ahin, wrapped in the blanket, was still sound asleep.
‘Huh?’
A soft warmth touched my back. It was the cloth that had been on Ash’s cushion.
When I turned around in surprise, Ash, who had covered me with the cloth, lightly licked my cheek. I shivered, goosebumps rising, but my eyes welled up for some reason.
Even though I was scared and tried to avoid her, Ash’s consistent kindness touched me. It felt as if all my previous wariness was crumbling away.
“Ash….”
Receiving this kind of care for the first time made my heart ache a bit.
As I mustered a sliver of courage and placed my hand on Ash’s back, my vision gradually lowered. Once again, familiar white paws appeared before my eyes.
* * *