A group of beastfolk led Ahin and Rune further away from the city center.
Following the map, the place they would reach was a merchant guild building, currently for sale.
Restin, who was following them from a distance, looked back at Everine. His blue eyes, visible through his black hair, were gradually turning red.
Noticing Restin’s gaze, Everine touched his eye area with a calm face.
“I took the medicine made by the raccoon beastfolk. Does it suit me?”
“It does not suit you. But more importantly…”
Restin’s golden eyes filled with curiosity. Unable to resist his growing curiosity, he hesitantly spoke.
“Um, Sir Everine, about that rabbit,”
“Please refer to it as the Lord Rabbit.”
“What…! No, well, never mind. What exactly is that Lord Rabbit?”
Whether it was just an animal or another species, Everine faced the wavering question in silence.
Ahin clearly knew something but kept his mouth shut. All he knew for sure was that it was a beastfolk.
Additionally, the rabbit seemed to know some level of etiquette. Every morning, it would greet the head of the Valence family, the highest-ranking person in the house, and didn’t find the maid Meimi awkward.
“Sir Everine?”
Restin’s expression turned doubtful due to Everine’s silence. Waving his hand dismissively to avoid persistent questioning about the rabbit, Everine gave a vague explanation.
“I’m sorry. I just sensed a peculiar smell.”
“Now that you mention it… there has been a strange smell since a while ago.”
“Really? Is that so?”
“Yes?”
“Never mind.”
Restin’s claim was indeed not false.
Everine, Restin, and the escort knights, their senses heightened, frowned at the foul smell wafting from somewhere.
The smell was different from the usual street fragrances, more akin to the stench of rotting flesh.
Following the scent into an alley, they found a beastfolk collapsed on the ground. The escort knight, Mio, checked and shook her head.
“Already deceased. But the skin color is odd. Doesn’t seem like a hyena beastfolk… The skin is patchy and ashen.”
Suspecting drug poisoning, Everine narrowed his eyes. Pushing Restin’s back slightly, he spoke in a heavier tone.
“Sir Restin, please check the wrist for pheromones.”
His typically serious expression was now intensely sharp.
Reflexively kneeling, Restin grabbed the wrist and focused on the pheromones. Indeed, the pheromones were in a tangled mess.
“Hmm, the pheromones are quite entangled.”
“It must be a drug addict. There have been reports that some beastfolk die from consumption.”
Turning away from the corpse, Everine looked towards the guild direction with a troubled expression.
While Ahin and Rune were not his concern, he was quite worried about the herbivore beastfolk, Vivi. Although it looked like a rabbit, he couldn’t be sure it wouldn’t be affected by drugs.
Deciding to hurry, Everine stopped Restin from further investigating the corpse.
“Let’s go. Sir Restin, your pheromones might get disturbed, so please withdraw your hand.”
“Ugh!”
Startled, Restin withdrew his hand from the corpse and glared fiercely. He was sure that Everine, out of concern for his own safety, had made him touch the corpse instead.
‘That sneaky bastard…!’
Holding back curses that reached his throat, Restin’s fist trembled.
“Sir Everine, you are becoming more cunning by the day.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Watching the bickering pair ahead, the escort knight Mio fell into unexpected contemplation. Like other employees, Mio regarded the rabbit as a mysterious animal.
However, recalling the person cradled in Ahin’s arms when she opened the shantytown door, she became more convinced that it was a beastfolk.
The unexplained, strong pheromones and the rabbit transforming into a human on the spot could explain the disheveled appearance.
Moreover, there were bite marks on her neck that seemed to be made by Ahin.
For predator beastfolk, biting the neck was akin to marking their prey. It was an act that also implied a possessive claim.
“Sir Mio?”
“…Oh, sorry!”
Prodded by Everine, the dazed Mio quickly followed, licking her lips.
What on earth was the next family head thinking? Broad-minded as she was, Mio worried about the mysterious rabbit’s future.
* * *
Rune swallowing the drug that even turned him into a lion sent chills down my spine.
Ahin, who was untying Rune’s ropes, looked at me curiously as I repeatedly coughed. Suddenly, his gaze landed on the carrot left by the rough-looking man.
‘It’s not because of eating that!’
It’s not the carrot….
Shaking my head, I pitifully tapped the ground. The frustration of being unable to communicate was overwhelming.
‘We should establish some signals. So he can understand my intentions.’
While coughing, I quickly recalled the signals we had agreed upon. The right forepaw was for calling Ahin, the left forepaw was for,
“Vivi?”
…emergencies.
Without hesitation, I raised my left forepaw, and Ahin immediately dropped Rune and approached. Kneeling to the ground, his expression hardened upon finding a small amount of ashen powder scattered on the floor.
“Did you swallow the drug?”
Lifting me swiftly, Ahin forcefully opened my mouth.
“Where does it hurt?”
He asked, turning my face this way and that. Finally stopping my coughing, I blinked with my mouth still held open.
In his now red eyes, my cotton ball-like figure was reflected.
“Vivi.”
His voice, urging for an answer, carried raw emotion. Confronted with his fierce expression, I trembled slightly.
‘…Come to think of it, it doesn’t hurt?’
My coughing stopped, and I seemed to be fine. Trying to express my feelings through gestures, I retched. My pheromones suddenly stirred inside me.
It was strange. Though not painful, it felt both unfamiliar and oddly familiar. Ahin’s face grew even more serious as he whispered.
“Your pheromone state is strange. Don’t tell me…”
Our eyes met in the air, trembling slightly.
If the drug affected my pheromones in any way. If I were to suddenly transform into a human here.
‘That can’t happen!’
No! With my ears pricked up, I crossed my forepaws. It wasn’t just about being naked; being in the middle of enemy territory was the biggest issue.
“Sir Manionts.”
Ahin, standing up, grabbed a cloth lying carelessly in the warehouse.
“The plan has changed. The drug matter is on hold.”
A flustered Rune protested vehemently.
“We’re escaping now, so you better survive… no, try to die.”
Ahin left a footprint on Rune’s face, not allowing any objections. Caught off guard, Rune rolled around pathetically.
‘That must hurt…’
The treatment was excessively harsh. How would he handle things once Rune turned back into a human?
Watching with worried eyes, I quickly realized I had my own problems.
Bang! Before I could even collect my thoughts, Ahin smashed the warehouse entrance.
‘He broke that thick door with his bare body…’
Barely processing the shattered door’s remains, I was startled by the screams of the beastfolk guarding the entrance.
“Aaargh!”
“What is this crazy bastard!”
Without giving them a chance to counterattack, Ahin knocked them down with just his feet and started crossing the corridor.
With my head swinging in Ahin’s grip, I pressed my temple with my forepaw. Before worrying about Rune, my uncertain future was the bigger concern.
* * *
The building we were trapped in was large but close to being abandoned.
Ahin, running down the hallway, seemed unusually keen on avoiding combat today.
I had no time to dwell on this, as I was struggling to breathe. While it wasn’t as painful as when exposed to others’ pheromones, my own pheromones were oddly uncontrollable.
Thud.
My pheromones surged again. Ahin suddenly stopped running and entered an empty room.
He hid in a narrow closet, sitting against the wall. The space was so cramped that even someone of Ahin’s height had to contort himself.
It smelled of damp wood. Dim light seeped through the slits in the closet door.
“What’s the time difference?”
Before I could adjust to the darkness, Ahin lifted me up to face him.
‘Time difference?’
I shrugged my forepaw, not fully understanding.
“Isn’t it when you get stimulated by pheromones that you turn into a human? I’m asking about the time difference. Even now, your pheromones are running wild.”
At that moment, I realized why Ahin was avoiding combat. He was considering my state, knowing that exposure to pheromones would cause me to transform into a human.
He was clearly aware of most of the situation.
How much did he know? As I swallowed nervously, Ahin poked my nose.
“Answer quickly. We can’t stay hidden here forever.”
‘An answer…’
I looked down at Ahin, who was sitting uncomfortably.
The time difference was always unpredictable, and now, having swallowed a small amount of the drug, it was uncertain whether I would transform. Despite having difficulty controlling my pheromones, my body seemed fine. I flailed my forepaws to explain, but Ahin’s expression only grew more frustrated.
“…I have no idea what you’re trying to say.”
If only he could read my mind. Sighing heavily, Ahin suddenly brought his finger to his lips.
“Shh.”
Bang, the door was flung open with a loud noise.
“What? Even the lion escaped?”
“This is insane. The guild master will be furious.”
The voices of the beastfolk searching for us were clear from the hallway.
From their conversation, it seemed Rune had successfully escaped, but there was no time to relax as someone entered the room.
‘What should I do?’
I quickly burrowed into Ahin’s hand, focusing on the approaching presence.
Footsteps echoed, despite the tense situation, Ahin, looking at my face peeking out between his fists, let out a silly laugh.
‘This is no time to be laughing!’
Just as the footsteps grew closer, light flooded in, casting a shadow.
My heart sank as I saw the figure who opened the closet.
It was the man who had moved me and handed me the carrot earlier, looking perplexed. Ahin, looking up, brought his finger to his lips again.
“GoLilla, shh.”
It was over the moment he called him goLilla. We were lucky if he didn’t shout immediately. Glancing between the two, I brought my forepaws together, pleading with my eyes.
‘Please.’
The man’s pupils visibly trembled, and when he heard someone in the hallway say, “Let’s just kill everyone we find,” his face turned dark.
Creak, the closet door shut again, plunging us into darkness.
“Lil, what about your side?”
“…Nothing. Have you finished searching the lower floors?”
“Not yet. You take care of the backyard.”
The footsteps faded away until they were no longer audible. Exhaling the breath I had been holding, I steadied my breathing as Ahin whispered quietly.
“Is a goLilla friendly to rabbits? That doesn’t make any sense.”
I’d never heard such a thing, not even as a rumor. Besides, this kind beastfolk merely resembled a goLilla; it wasn’t certain he was a goLilla beastfolk.
“I see. A goLilla and a rabbit…”
Instead of being grateful, Ahin seemed lost in his own world.
‘He might not even be a goLilla.’
Besides, to others, a black panther walking around with a rabbit would look even stranger.
‘More importantly, let’s get out of this scary place.’
I tapped Ahin’s finger and pointed outside with my forepaw. He nodded, raising one corner of his mouth.
“Alright, let’s go… Vivi?”
Just as I was about to show my eagerness to escape, I curled up. The pheromones creeping through my body felt as if they were about to burst.
For a moment, my vision flickered between darkness and light.
Ahin, tugging on the cloth draped over my shoulder, appeared blurry.
“Ugh….”
I let out a small groan and rubbed my pounding head. I felt dizzy, as if I might faint at any moment.
Breathing heavily, I grabbed my throat.
‘Did… did I just make a sound?’
I couldn’t quite grasp the situation, but as I looked down, I met Ahin’s gaze staring up at me.
Blinking in confusion, I slowly became aware of unfamiliar sensations. The raised perspective, hair tickling my cheeks, and the warmth enveloping my body.
‘…Why?’
Could it be that the drug, stimulating my pheromones, caused me to transform into a human?
Thump, thump, my eyes darted around the inside of the closet.
It was my first time transforming in front of someone else, and the fact that it was Ahin made it even more embarrassing.
Wrapped in cloth, I found myself practically on top of him. We were so close that I could feel the contours of his body.
Cautiously, I placed my hands on his shoulders and tried to lift myself up. But the cramped space meant we remained pressed together.
Seconds felt like minutes. I wished Ahin would say something, but he remained silent, simply staring up at me.
His red eyes, shadowed by the dim light, seemed especially intense. They reminded me of a hungry predator, causing my gaze to drop to the floor.
“Uh….”
The frustration of not being able to clearly see his expression in the dark was unbearable. What should I do? Should I try to smile? Moistening my dry lips, I awkwardly grinned.
“…Hello.”
The damp air of the closet clung to my skin. The touch of our bare skin brought not warmth but a chilling sense of danger.
‘He was so talkative just a moment ago, why isn’t he saying anything now?’
The proximity, making our breaths mingle, heightened my nerves. Didn’t he usually have plenty to say? Should I snap at him?
“Ahin.”
As I looked up, meeting his red eyes, my courage vanished.
“Aren’t you going to talk to me?”
My soft voice echoed in the closet. I could scold him later. Justifying myself, I noticed Ahin’s lips finally parting after a long silence.
“Did I do something wrong?”
He leaned his head against the wall and smiled mischievously.
“Why are you glaring at me?”
Oh no. Still struggling with facial expressions, I pulled the cloth wrapped around me up to cover my face.
“…It was originally like this.”
“Do you even know what you look like?”
Unable to retort, I squinted. The only time I had looked in the mirror was around the ballroom, and even then, I was too distracted to remember my appearance.
“More than that….”
“Hmm?”
“It would be nice if you could at least give a warning when you’re about to change. Maybe dance if you feel like you’re turning into a person.”
How was I supposed to give a warning like that? It was easy for him to say. Just as I was about to respond, Ahin beat me to it.
“Think about it. What do you think would happen if Ash suddenly turned into a person?”
Rolling my eyes, I thought of Ash. Ash was a black panther with a particularly pronounced build and an intimidating look. If Ash turned into a person….
“…People would be surprised.”
“And?”
“They’d be confused.”
“That’s how I feel right now.”
Ahin took a handful of my white hair and rubbed it.
“A fierce rabbit has turned into a person.”
I’m not fierce. Swallowing the words, I fell into deep thought.
Indeed, setting up a signal as he suggested would make it much easier to communicate intentions.
“Alright. Then next time, I’ll dance….”
Dance? There were plenty of other signals. Almost getting caught in the persuasive words of a beast, I quickly stood up.
Thunk, something hit my head at the same time. It was Ahin’s hand, protecting my head from hitting the ceiling.
Remembering we were in a cramped closet, I swallowed hard. With both hands pressed against Ahin’s chest, I could feel his solid body.
‘Too close.’
Gulping, my gaze traveled up from his chest, past the cravat and jawline, and settled on his neatly arranged features.
His usually ascetic face looked strangely clouded, sending a shiver down my spine. As my wavering gaze landed on his plump lips,
“Vivi, you just looked at me with lewd eyes.”
“…I did not.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying!”
“……”
“…Really.”
Extending my words, I shook my head vigorously to deny it. However, Ahin’s expression remained distrustful.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
As I fervently tried to explain, footsteps echoed from somewhere.
Without hesitation, I covered Ahin’s mouth and focused on the sounds outside. His red eyes widened as a rough voice echoed down the corridor.
“An intruder at this time?!”
‘An intruder?’
“I don’t know the details, but let’s head to the entrance!”
Tap tap, the footsteps quickly receded.
An intruder, could it be Everine following us? Lost in speculation, I looked down at Ahin.
With his mouth covered, he simply blinked quietly. A strange silence passed.
“……!”
Realizing the soft feel of my palm, I quickly removed my hand.
‘Oh my!’
I had touched the mouth of a beast. If he opened his mouth, I might get bitten by his fangs. Looking alternately at my hands, I shivered.
“How many are there?”
“Four people, and a mad lion rampaging around.”
“What?”
There was commotion outside, confirming the presence of an intruder. Nervously glancing at the closet door, I grabbed Ahin’s hand.
[Let’s,]
Ssk, ssk, several lines were drawn on his palm.
[Let’s go back.]
I hate it here. The oddly damp air, the dim scenery filled with red lanterns, and the beastfolk revealing their hostility. None of it felt safe.
Ahin, who silently laughed, pulled my hand in the opposite direction. Soon, a tickling sensation was transmitted.
[Where to?]
Exasperated, I pulled his hand back.
‘Where else, home,’
…it is.
I hesitated, my finger stiffening as I was about to write.
Could I really call the House of Grace my home? Dropping my eyes, I cautiously watched Ahin’s reaction.
‘I like Vivi because she is a rabbit.’
If I am no longer a rabbit, what will you do? The question, always hidden, rose to my throat.
‘It would be troublesome if you were human.’
As I held his hand without moving, Ahin tilted his head and looked up at me from below.
“What’s wrong?”
Strangely, my lips felt glued together, as if I had forgotten how to speak.
What happens if I am no longer needed? Will I be abandoned again? These troubling thoughts kept surfacing.
“…Vivi?”
There was no time for this. I knew escaping this place was the priority, yet I couldn’t control the overwhelming emotions.
“The scent is too strong.”
Ahin, frowning, quickly patted my cheek.
“Vivi,”
Without realizing it, thump, the pheromones that had been roiling inside me surged like a wave. My limbs started to tremble, and I felt like I might pass out.
Gagging, I covered my mouth.
“Vivi!”
My nose stung sharply. It was the same phenomenon as when I couldn’t control my pheromones in the shantytown.
Though he seemed to be shouting something, I couldn’t make it out.
The deep sorrow that had welled up from the depths of my being began to gnaw at my heart.
* * *
The flickering lamplight brightened the night.
Rune, who had vowed to destroy Ahin Grace once he returned to human form, roared furiously, taking out his anger on anything nearby.
“Has this lion gone mad!”
“Aaah, my boots!”
At the entrance of the building overgrown with bushes, the beastfolk holding torches and lamps were in a chaotic uproar.
Pheromones didn’t work, he dodged weapons with uncanny footwork, and those being chased by Rune were in sheer terror.
Meanwhile, Everine’s party, who had followed Ahin to the guild building, looked stunned.
“Ah!”
“Move, get out of the way!”
There was no need for stealth. How could one describe the scene of what looked like a game of tag between a lion and beastfolk?
To make matters worse, it wasn’t just any lion, but the offspring of a territory lord, making the situation even more complex.
Restin, whose pupils trembled with madness, shouted, “Lord Rune, where are you-!” and ran in the opposite direction. It was a desperate struggle by a subordinate to maintain his master’s dignity.
Leaving behind the retreating lion and Restin, Everine instructed the escort knights.
“Follow those two and retrieve the drugs.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Everine dodged the attacking beastfolk, he suddenly looked up. His red eyes narrowed as he spotted something.
On the third-floor window ledge of the building, Ahin, holding a huge bundle of cloth, climbed up.
‘A bundle…?’
Everine could hardly imagine the contents of the cloth bundle. With his hands behind his back, he looked up at it alongside Ash.
“Sir Ash, what do you think that is?”
Before they could resolve their doubts, Ahin leaped over the window sill with a single step. Watching him, Everine momentarily thought he looked like a nimble thief.
Tak, Ahin landed lightly and adjusted the bundle in his arms.
“Ahin.”
Everine, who had been approaching, suddenly lost his words.
The bundle wasn’t a pack or a blanket but a woman wrapped in a piece of cloth. Moreover, her fluttering eyelids and labored breathing made her look extremely fragile.
“…Who is she?”
Ahin glanced at Vivi in his arms. Her breath tickled his neck as it escaped her lips. Her already pale skin looked ghostly, and she felt almost weightless.
According to investigations, a small amount of the drug only heightened emotions. Yet, Vivi had a body so weak that it endangered her life.
It seemed like another pheromone seizure, but he couldn’t be sure.
“Everine, do we have a carriage or horses?”
Ahin’s expression was calm and devoid of any smile.
“I’m sorry, but we didn’t bring any.”
Everine responded with the utmost respect and formality. From his experience, he knew that his superior was in an exceptionally foul mood, to the point of demanding absolute obedience.
Ahin looked around the entrance of the building. They had escaped the warehouse, and the sudden arrival of Everine’s group had turned the place into chaos.
His red eyes settled on a man who had just emerged from the backyard.
A beastfolk who had always shown unconditional kindness to Vivi.
Ahin stepped forward and blocked Lil’s path.
“Take us to the nearest doctor.”
“You…”
Lil’s eyes widened in shock when he saw the panting Vivi.
The small rabbit he had been with earlier was gone, replaced by a woman. The white hair spilling from the cloth confused Lil.
“Lil, what are you doing? Don’t you need to take care of…”
Before he could finish, Ash pounced on a beastfolk, tearing into him. Ahin took another step forward and directed a faint pheromone towards Lil.
“We don’t have time.”
“Ugh…”
The pheromone felt like it was crushing Lil, climbing from his feet upward.
He tried to defend himself with his own pheromones but was utterly overwhelmed. It felt like he was sinking into an inescapable swamp, and a deep fear took hold.
Blacking out, Lil suddenly felt the urge to kneel before the man. He had a chilling premonition that if he refused the demand, he would be killed.
Lil moistened his parched throat and controlled his pheromones. His body glowed and soon transformed into a white stallion.
Without resistance, the horse lowered its body.
“Everine, follow along as best you can.”
Adjusting his grip on Vivi, Ahin mounted the horse without hesitation. Neighing loudly, the horse kicked up a cloud of dust as it galloped away from the building.
Everine, covered in the dust raised by the horse, muttered, trying to understand what had just happened.
“Ash, let’s go.”
The place where Ash had been standing was now empty. Everine turned his head to see Ash already chasing after the horse at full speed.
“…How are we supposed to catch up with a horse on human legs?”
Unless his legs had wheels, it seemed impossible. Sighing softly, Everine returned to his true form for the first time in years.
A black panther appeared with a flash of light and prowled the area.
Picking up the fallen clothes meticulously, the panther immediately darted into the darkness.
* * *
Rune, who emerged from a dark alley, rubbed his temples.
Though he had naturally reverted to his human form over time, shame and anger wrapped around his entire body.
It was bad enough to end up naked outdoors, but he even experienced wearing nothing but boxers. If Restin hadn’t appeared with clothes just in time, he might have been labeled the pervert of the century.
“Damn it, that wretched cat….”
Ahin Grace. Muttering through gritted teeth, he recalled the hateful face.
Thanks to the final kick filled with emotion, he tasted the metallic flavor of blood from his busted mouth.
“Lord Rune, how on earth did you revert to your original form?”
Restin, filled with determination, took a step closer to the enraged Rune. Rune, crumpling his cravat into his pocket, muttered irritably.
“The drug forcibly activates pheromones. So, my pheromones reacted defensively to push the drug out.”
“Such…!”
“It’s not just the drug, that rabbit….”
“Are you referring to Lord Ahin’s pet?”
“Yeah, sometimes there was a strange smell.”
A sweet scent that attracts beastfolk. Especially after ingesting the drug, that scent momentarily intensified.
“Rabbits groom themselves, so they typically don’t have a strong odor.”
“No, not that kind of smell… more like a butter scent?”
Rune, unable to precisely describe it, licked his lips. One thing was clear: Ahin Grace had masked the rabbit’s pheromones with his own scent.
“It also smelled like freshly baked bread.”
Restin’s expression became seriously concerned.
“Excuse me.”
Suddenly, Restin reached out and touched Rune’s forehead.
“…You don’t have a fever. Why are you speaking so strangely, like Sir Everine?”
“Everine? Isn’t that a bit much?”
Rune, now cold, pushed Restin’s shoulder away. Staggering back, Restin cautioned out of concern.
“You seem to have forgotten, but we are currently guests of the Grace family. If we provoke Lord Ahin and the alliance falls through….”
Restin, recalling Rune’s sister—the next head of the Manionts family, known for her fierce temper—swallowed hard.
She had sent a delegation to the black panther territory, but if the alliance were to break for an absurd reason…. Restin covered his face with both hands, looking distraught.
“I fear her greatly. She’ll likely slap us first and ask questions later.”
“So, you’re saying that because you’re afraid of my sister, we should overlook the fact that Ahin Grace slapped me? Do you know how he handled a weak lion who couldn’t even fight back?”
“If you were weak, the building wouldn’t be in such a state.”
Restin gestured to the dilapidated building, almost in tatters. Left speechless, Rune awkwardly changed the subject.
“Anyway. It’s just a theory, but that rabbit might have unique abilities.”
“Of course, it understands human speech. It’s the king of rabbits, they say.”
“…What is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps it’s the leader of the rabbits.”
Both of them briefly envisioned a small rabbit leading a group of other rabbits.
“Who said such nonsense?”
“Sir Everine.”
“Ignore what he says. He’s always full of hot air.”
Spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth, Rune turned away from the building.
“Hey, Lord Rune. Where are you going? We need to retrieve the drug.”
“The knights trailing us can handle it. I’m busy; I’m off to kill that cat.”
Without giving Restin a chance to respond, Rune started running off somewhere.
Who does he hate so much that…?
“You can’t, Lord Rune! Please!”
A few seconds later, Restin’s faint scream, having realized the answer was Ahin Grace, echoed through the night of Endellus.
* * *
With the clattering motion of the horse, my body swayed aimlessly.
It hurts…
The pain was so intense that it was hard to think clearly. I was barely holding onto consciousness.
Realizing that my life was in danger, I felt overwhelmingly resentful. How had I managed to survive in the body of a helpless little rabbit?
Every day at the House of Rabian was like walking on thin ice.
I often hid whenever I heard footsteps, pretending not to see or hear anything, curling up as if I didn’t exist. Occasionally, when the servants forgot to feed me, I went hungry.
When I ventured outside, I had to be wary of hawks and eagles flying overhead, and any mistake made by a servant, like spilling tea or dropping an object, was a threat to my life.
Eventually, I was discarded in a basket and had to struggle to survive even in the land of beasts.
After finally transforming into a human, I quickly reverted to a rabbit and now, I was in excruciating pain, feeling like I might die.
Maybe I really was cursed by the gods. At the brink of despair, I couldn’t even cry.
Gasping for breath, I looked up at Ahin’s profile through my blurry vision. His silver hair, tousled by the night wind, flowed like waves.
Ahin was the complete opposite of me. Physically and mentally. It was true that we were different from birth.
While I couldn’t even open a door, he had the strength to easily escape from enclosed spaces. Unlike me, who was discarded by my family, he was an indispensable presence in the Black Panther territory.
Even if I had undergone humanization and become a proper member of the House of Rabian, he would still be someone I couldn’t reach. We might have never met in a lifetime.
His unreal appearance certainly contributed to the sense of distance.
With difficulty, I reached out and pulled Ahin’s cheek. His serene face, now devoid of composure, gave me a small sense of satisfaction.
“…Hey, Ahin.”
He was someone who naturally stood above others, exuding a sense of ease that came from that position.
Living at the top of the food chain, he would never know what these emotions felt like.
“Why did you pick me up?”
My voice came out cracked and dry. As the strength left my pinching hand, Ahin pulled me closer and rested his chin on top of my head, speaking bluntly.
“To eat you.”
Well, what kind of normal answer did I expect from a vicious beast? My face flushed hotly, either from anger or the difficulty in breathing.
“I’m not joking. Even now, I haven’t changed my mind.”
His voice sent small vibrations through my head with each word.
“If I hadn’t picked you up, Ash’s pack would’ve eaten you.”
The sharp truth struck me like a boomerang.
I had heard that black panthers rarely lived in groups, but there were uncontrolled packs roaming the forest at the border.
So that was Ash’s pack. And what did he mean by saying his thoughts hadn’t changed? I regretted asking, as I now faced an uncomfortable truth.
The horse quickened its pace. Struggling to stay conscious, I heard his unusually low voice.
“Don’t lose consciousness, it’s dangerous.”
I want to, but it’s not working. I clenched my teeth and slowly blinked. Just as I was about to pass out, something sharp poked the top of my head.
“If you pass out, I’ll bite you.”
The sharp thing was none other than Ahin’s upper teeth—his fangs.
Where exactly is he biting? I shook my head frantically, pale and frightened, but the fangs persistently followed.
‘He’s really lost it….’
Unable to scream, I glared with bloodshot eyes. Thus began my fight against myself to avoid losing consciousness.
* * *
The place where the horse stopped was a small cabin located on a quiet roadside.
Bang, bang, bang, when Ahin knocked on the door, “How rude to visit in the middle of the night!” The doctor, who was coming out scolding, froze like a stone.
“Huh, Black Panther….”
She, who was hesitating, started sweating profusely when she saw Ash at her feet.
“Come in, come in quickly.”
The cabin door, as well as the door to her heart, was wide open. There was a strange sense of kinship in her series of actions towards the beast.
Inside the cabin, the sight brightened up as the firewood was lit and the lamp was turned on.
Lying on the bed, I twisted my body endlessly. The extreme pain squeezing my body showed no sign of abating.
“You said she took the drug?”
The doctor’s hand, which was lifting the cloth wrapped around my body, hesitated. A look of bewilderment flashed in her black pupils.
“Could you turn around for a moment? I need to take off the cloth.”
Ahin turned around without a word. Waiting until he faced the wall, the doctor clicked her teeth as Ash approached.
“Shoo, shoo!”
She shooed Ash to the door and busily gathered medical tools.
“When did she take the drug? Ah, please answer without looking this way.”
“Two hours ago.”
The doctor, who lowered the cloth smoothly, began the examination. The touch of medical tools on my bare skin was extremely creepy. My toes curled up from the chills.
“This is strange…. There’s no reaction to the drug. Have you had any previous experience with the drug? We need to consider tolerance as well.”
‘Tolerance?’
No way. How could a rabbit that’s been living on hay take drugs? Holding the doctor’s hem, I barely shook my head.
“Hmm. When taking drugs prevalent in Endellus, most people experience heightened emotions or, in severe cases, their skin turns ashy. But you’re not showing any similar symptoms, not even a drug reaction.”
She tilted her head while grinding herbs with her other hand.
“Maybe the amount was too small to cause a reaction. Your pheromones are unstable; it seems more related to your own pheromones than the drug.”
Listening to her unfounded explanations made my vision go dark. The doctor, who was taking my pulse, pulled up the cloth to cover my body.
“You can turn around now.”
Ahin, who was facing the wall, sat on the edge of the bed. His finger gently wiped the sweat from my forehead.
“If it’s not a drug issue, what should we do?”
“We need to administer a pheromone stabilizer, not an antidote.”
With a clatter, the doctor opened a cabinet and took out a small bottle.
“Sometimes…. When someone has pheromones they can’t handle, it can cause seizures.”
She turned the lid and looked at both me and Ahin with a rather stern face.
“In my opinion, the drug has activated your pheromones, but your body cannot handle your own pheromones.”
“So?”
“Using a pheromone stabilizer is not a good long-term solution. I recommend monitoring until it stabilizes on its own and administering the stabilizer only when it becomes critically dangerous.”
It was shocking, to say the least.
Enduring this pain continuously, no way.
I reached out for the medicine bottle the doctor was holding. However, with a snap, Ahin, who grabbed my wrist, made my fingertips hover in the air.
‘You have no idea how painful it is.’
In the midst of the chaos, his misty and vague expression felt deeply sorrowful and also resentful. I wanted to cry out in pain, but it was too difficult, and only shallow breaths came out.
‘Just this once….’
Just let me take it this time, next time I’ll control my pheromones better. I had no confidence to endure the excruciating pain that made my veins feel like they were about to burst.
“I, please….”
I desperately continued with my halting voice, clutching Ahin’s sleeve as if begging. He, who was looking down without a twitch, slightly pulled the cloth that wrapped around my neck.
“If it’s not related to the drug,”
The cool air touched the unhealed wound on my neck.
“Then suppressing the pheromones should calm you down.”
“Uh? Oh, well, that’s true, but-….”
The doctor, with a doubtful expression, trailed off. It seemed she didn’t fully understand Ahin’s intent.
Without further explanation, he suddenly bent towards me.
“What are you doing…. Hey, look! Are you crazy?!”
The doctor, shocked, grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
“Stop this arrogant act of trying to suppress it with another pheromone!”
“Let go, it’s possible.”
“Ordinary pheromones won’t work, it could drive the patient to death!”
“My pheromone,”
With a snap, Ahin brushed off her hand from his shoulder.
“Is of the dominant type.”
“Oh….”
The doctor, unable to hide her astonishment, tangled her hair in frustration. Ignoring her, Ahin extended his hand to support the back of my neck. As he lifted me with careful hands,
“Wait, wait, just a moment.”
The doctor intervened again, waving her hands multiple times. Slowly moving his gaze, he spoke as if spitting out the words.
“Dragging this out any longer won’t be good for you either.”
It was nothing short of a clear warning. Understanding the implication, she gulped audibly.
“Well, yes, it’s true that infusing pheromones directly is safer and more certain, but….”
She glanced at me and then away.
“During the examination, I found bite marks around the neck… I can’t allow that method. You shouldn’t treat a herbivore’s body like a carnivore’s.”
Her black eyes conveyed a firm determination.
Watching her over Ahin’s shoulder, I bit my lip. Rather, I wanted to be bitten on the neck like before and escape this current agony.
Ahin’s faded red eyes lingered on my neck. The stark difference between his emotionless face and the warmth of his hand on my neck created a strange gap.
Our gazes met in the air.
Thump.
At the moment my pheromones surged again, Ahin pulled me towards him. As our faces drew closer, a foreign sensation touched my lips.
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