Rabbit 32

What should I do? I sat politely on the sofa in the study, watching the old gentleman groan with worry.

According to Meimi’s introduction, the old gentleman was named Lilion Feyant, the grandfather of Ahin.

Unfortunately, Ahin was out attending to some business and had left the mansion. In the meantime, I somehow upset him and made him ill.

I felt a bit resentful, but I was also concerned that perhaps his old body had been overtaxed.

If Ash suddenly started reading a book one day, I might just faint too.

As I imagined this, I stood up, anxious, and touched the back of his hand.

   ‘Grandfather, please get up.’

His eyes, beneath his snow-white eyebrows, slowly opened. A look of great displeasure flashed across his red eyes, characteristic of the black panther clan.

   “It’s the end times when we have not only caretakers but also a rabbit who understands speech.”

Realizing he harbored no kindness towards me, I quietly stepped back.

   “…What on earth are you? You’re truly suspicious.”

There was no way I could explain. He blinked his wrinkled eyelids and turned his gaze to Meimi.

   “You explain instead.”

   “…Ahin’s,”

   “If you don’t speak plainly, you’ll lose your head.”

Meimi seemed to carefully choose her words before speaking slowly.

   “He said it was an emergency ration.”

   “Yes, it’s just like that rascal to not explain things properly.”

   “……”

   “Thanks to him, my lifespan shortens by the day. What do you think of this suspicious thing?”

   “Well….”

As Meimi struggled to respond, a sigh of exasperation filled the air.

   “Good grief, when the master goes mad, even his closest aides follow. I should have recognized that rogue, Rudd Everine, first.”

I, the target of his scolding, kept a wary eye on the situation. He rubbed his forehead and straightened his posture on the sofa. Every movement conveyed his years of experience and authority.

   “Mixed with Ahin’s scent, there’s an unpleasant smell that most beastfolk wouldn’t detect. Are you a beastfolk?”

   “No, it has always been in the form of a baby rabbit.”

   “…Judging by the appearance, it’s hard to see it as a beastfolk. Are you the rabbit that danced the waltz with Ahin?”

Waltz…? I pondered his cryptic words before recalling how I had spun around dizzyingly with Ahin at a ball.

I nodded faintly, and the grandfather’s complexion grew even paler.

   “Of all the things he could do, he brings such a suspicious creature…!”

His voice rose sharply, and from outside the study, Ash scratched at the door with a groan.

   “Quiet!” The grandfather shouted again, his red eyes narrowing fiercely.

   “With someone who could drop dead at any moment, he should be thinking of leaving an heir, but he’s so shameless!”

His gruff voice rang in my ears. Before I could grasp the meaning of his words, he sharply turned to Meimi.

   “Where is Ahin? Bring him here at once.”

“For the temple ceremony, he is with the family head at the Temple. He is expected to return before dinner.”

“So today is the temple ceremony. Perfect timing, with plenty of priests around. Summon the attendants and prepare the carriage.”

“I apologize, but where are you planning to go?”

“I intend to take this rabbit to the temple.”

Meimi’s eyes narrowed in a brief tremor. Before I could even react, I was suddenly lifted by the scruff of my neck.

“At the very least, if I show you to a mid-level priest, they should be able to identify what you are. That grandson of mine probably thought it was fascinating and played with you without a second thought.”

The grandfather’s forceful demeanor made me instinctively curl my toes.

‘No, please.’

A temple? Suspended in the air, I clasped my front paws together in desperation.

“Goodness gracious.”

The grandfather clicked his tongue and began making preparations to leave without hesitation.

In the temple, they could determine whether someone was a beastfolk or judge the nature of a creature, so it was clear he intended to show me to a priest, just as Ahin had initially considered.

‘Meimi!’

As I struggled and kicked my feet, I looked back at Meimi. Her usually stern face was, for once, painted with rare dismay.

As a member of the Grace family, not of another clan, it was even harder for her to intervene. If she, a mere maid, overstepped, she could very well lose her life.

Just as I resolved to flee on my own, my face turned pale. The attendant standing behind the grandfather brought over a small basket made of woven straw.

‘Just a little further, and we’ll be in the black panther’s territory.’

‘Let’s get it over with.’

Voices I never wanted to recall echoed in my ears. Overwhelmed by a distant nightmare, I twisted my body in panic.

‘No.’

No, no! I gritted my teeth and struggled, but it was a futile effort against the overwhelming strength that held me.

“Put it in the basket.”

As I was transferred from the grandfather’s hand, I bit down hard on the attendant’s fingers.

Please, let me go. Just pretend you dropped me on the floor.

As I nibbled on his fingers with my front teeth, the attendant’s eyes flickered with hesitation. The longer he hesitated, the more his hands trembled as he held onto me.

“What are you waiting for? Do it already!”

“Lord Lilion.”

Thud. At that moment, Meimi prostrated herself on the floor, her forehead touching the ground.

“Forgive my bold request, but please, just wait until Master Ahin returns.”

A cold silence settled over the large study, where only the grandfather, the attendant, Meimi, and I were present.

‘Meimi….’

Looking down at her hunched back, my heart ached. Pathetically, if only I could have said a single word, Meimi wouldn’t have needed to take such a stance. The tears I had held back finally began to fall.

“You…!”

The grandfather, who had been staring down at me in astonishment, widened his eyes. My heightened emotions had caused pheromones to emanate from me.

“What in the world!”

At the same time, the pheromones he released began to envelop my body. And then, it was utter darkness.

* * *

It felt like someone was squeezing my organs, causing a sharp pain in my stomach. Through my dizzy vision, I saw Meimi collapsed on the floor.

Cough, cough. I crawled slowly toward her, coughing heavily.

‘She’s asleep.’

Up close, I could see that, fortunately, she was merely in a deep sleep.

After confirming the steady rise and fall of her breath, I rubbed my legs together. It was cold. The chill from the marble floor was biting.

My dazed gaze drifted to Ahin’s grandfather, sprawled on the sofa. He, too, had succumbed to sleep, and the attendant who had fallen on the other side was muttering in his sleep.

‘To think I turned human here….’

When I unknowingly released my pheromones, grandfather must have noticed and raised his own pheromones in defense.

Although he didn’t directly use them on me, the result was that I became human.

However, the fact that everyone had fallen asleep meant that my pheromones had overpowered his.

‘Could it be that my pheromones are stronger than his…?’

A cold shiver ran through me, and I hugged my arms tightly. Fortunately, since Ahin had previously infused his pheromones into me, my body’s pheromones weren’t wildly fluctuating.

“Ash, please stay calm.”

I held my breath as I checked my pheromones. Outside the study, I heard the soft voice of a guard whispering to Ash.

“Please understand, since Lord Lilion has ordered you out, you can’t go back in now.”

Glancing around, I quickly moved toward the attendant.

“Huff.”

With great effort, I pulled him up and stole his jacket, squeezing my body into it as best I could. Yet, my bare skin still peeked out between the collar.

‘…Sorry.’

I approached the attendant again and yanked off his belt.

‘Is this enough?’

After tightening the belt around my waist, it somewhat resembled proper clothing.

Feeling my way around nervously, I crouched beside Meimi. Her forehead was red and swollen, likely from hitting the floor so hard earlier.

“Meimi, wake up.”

I whispered softly and gently lifted her closed eyelids.

“…Meimi?”

Even after lifting her other eyelid, only the whites of her eyes responded. She showed no sign of waking, deeply submerged in sleep due to the pheromones.

‘Please wake up…!’

I lifted both eyelids at once, but Meimi remained unresponsive.

What am I supposed to do now? Feeling lost, I anxiously glanced at the entrance to the study.

If I leave through that door, what should I say to the guard I encounter? If I explain everything step by step, maybe they’ll understand.

I’m the rabbit you greeted this morning, but in truth, I’m a beastfolk. And these people here— I put them to sleep. Then, if I just laugh it off…

‘The spear would immediately be pointed at my neck.’

With both Ahin and Valence absent, it wouldn’t take much for the entire mansion to be thrown into chaos.

Curled up habitually, I continued to imagine the worst. I glanced at the grandfather. If we met again like this, what other sharp words would he throw at me?

He wasn’t wrong. I was already nineteen, and there likely wasn’t anyone else on the continent besides me who hadn’t yet undergone humanization at this age.

It was strange for the people in this mansion to treat someone as suspicious as me, a mere rabbit, with such kindness. Before coming to the Grace household, the grandfather’s reaction would have been considered normal.

Well, maybe their kindness was partly due to Ahin’s influence. But still, the fact that it stung only made me realize how well I had been treated these past few months.

If it weren’t for Ahin and Everine occasionally baring their fangs, I might have actually had peaceful days… well, not quite.

With black panthers, lions, foxes, and wolves around…

‘It was tough… and intense.’

I smacked my lips and took a long look around the study. I could revert to a rabbit if I used pheromones again, but having finally transformed into a human, I didn’t want to change back so easily.

The top priority was to hide until Ahin returned without being discovered.

Wobbling, I stood up and moved toward the direction connected to the terrace. As soon as I stepped onto the open terrace, the sunlight stung my face.

‘It’s the third floor—what am I thinking coming out here?’

Maybe it would be better to hide under the study’s bookshelf.

Staring blankly at the railing, I suddenly crouched down. It had just dawned on me that I was too big to hide under the bookshelf now.

I crawled like a turtle and peered down. The study’s terrace overlooked a less frequented area, with only the occasional gardener or servant passing by.

‘…What should I do?’

If I stay in the study and the grandfather wakes up, who knows what kind of trouble that could lead to…

Just as I peeked over the edge, my eyes widened. I had locked eyes with a man I knew well.

“Go…!”

“Rab…!”

Oh no.

Both of us covered our mouths at the same time, looking around cautiously to make sure no one else was nearby.

It was a reunion with the gorilla-like beastfolk who had helped me in Endelus.

* * *

The cart wheel hit a stone, sending a strong jolt through the cart.

Wrapped tightly in straw, I sat with my knees drawn up, looking upward. The cart’s lid creaked slightly as light filtered in.

“Rabbit, just hang in there a little longer.”

Lil’s exceptionally clear eyes peeked through the gap.

“I’m fine.”

I can manage. With determined eyes, I waved my hand. But Lil, still worried, quickly closed the lid.

“Lil, I’m heading home now. Jane seemed unusually upset today, so maybe check in on her.”

“Of course, take care on your way home.”

“Alright then, let’s keep doing our best.”

After exchanging goodbyes with someone, Lil pushed the cart with renewed vigor.

He kept up a steady stream of small talk whenever we were alone, perhaps to keep me from feeling scared.

As I listened to Lil’s story, I felt a pang of sympathy and wiped the corners of my eyes. Lil had a tale that was hard to hear without shedding tears.

He had wanted to work at a rabbit farm, so he went to an employment agency, but because of his appearance, he was sent to a drug trafficking operation instead. He worked as a low-level errand boy, unable to quit easily.

Then, by some twist of fate, he became employed by the Grace family. He applied to assist the rabbit like Meimi, but without a word, he was assigned to the stables—a bittersweet outcome.

I knew he had come to the Grace family with me, but whether intentionally or not, Ahin never mentioned him, so this was the first time I heard the full story.

“Now, stick your head out. No one will want to come near where Jane is.”

Clearing away the straw, I lifted the cart lid and poked my head out.

“Who’s Jane?”

“She’s Lord Ahin’s black horse. She’s very temperamental and has something like a cleanliness obsession, so she doesn’t let people approach easily. She hates the smell of humans.”

“Just like her master.”

“There’s a bit of that… oh no, I’ve misspoken!”

Startled, Lil covered his mouth with a hand as big as a pot lid. Pretending not to have heard, I turned my gaze forward.

Behind a well-kept fence, the sleek black horse snorted and arrogantly lifted her chin, glaring at me with disdain.

‘As expected.’

Just look at her eyes, as if it’s only natural that she has her own private stable. Her coat gleamed as if she’d been meticulously groomed, and even her neck bore a necklace adorned with what seemed to be precious jewels.

‘What are you staring at?’

Feeling the need to assert my dominance, I tilted my chin. Having dealt with Ash, a mere herbivore like a horse was no match for me.

“Oh dear…”

Just as I was locked in a staring contest, Lil picked me up from the cart, looking slightly embarrassed. It must have been because my legs were clearly exposed beneath the attendant’s jacket.

“I’ll go get some clothes, so wait here for a moment. Jane won’t jump the fence, so just don’t get too close. Whatever you do, don’t get close—if she kicks you with her hind legs, you could get seriously hurt.”

“I’ll wait quietly. Or should I just get back in the cart?”

“That might be better… no, I’ll be quick.”

Unable to meet my gaze, Lil looked up at the sky as he made his earnest request.

Even after I assured him, Lil, still uneasy, sprinted off towards the stables.

Watching his massive figure recede into the distance, I tidied the hair tickling my knees.

‘…What’s happening in the study now?’

Had Meimi woken up? Surely the grandfather must have realized I’d used pheromones?

A flood of worries rushed in. I was lucky to have run into Lil; otherwise, I’d probably be back to being a rabbit or still wandering aimlessly around the study.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I let out a shallow breath.

Lil said he would pass on the message to Ahin when he returned. If I waited here, I could meet him without running into anyone else.

As I stood there idly, I glanced back at Jane. The way she snorted dismissively reminded me so much of Ahin that I felt the urge to swat her behind.

“What… what are you looking at,”

“…….”

“…Miss Jane.”

I took a step back after throwing out a provocative line.

I had heard that Jane had thrown the previous stable hand out as soon as Lil was assigned to the stables.

She probably liked him quite a bit. Just as Ahin could communicate subtly with the black panther, Lil, who was a horse beastfolk, could probably communicate with horses to some extent.

‘Then, if I’m a rabbit beastfolk…’

Maybe one day I’ll command rabbits too.

As I briefly imagined a rabbit army, I was horrified and held my cheeks. Jane suddenly leaped over the fence with a swift step.

Frozen in place, my legs trembled.

He said she’d never jump over the fence. He said she wouldn’t approach anyone who smelled bad.

Could it be because I’m not human but a rabbit? I doubted and felt my body, but I was still in my human form.

So is this because I occasionally turn into a human, and they don’t even treat me like one?

Unlike me, who was backing away, Jane was striding forward, approaching without hesitation.

Jane sniffed as she got close, almost a step away. I could feel the breath from her nose, which was pressed close to the side of my head.

‘Should I run?’

Standing at attention, I glanced sideways at the stable.

If I ran straight to the stable, would she chase me? Even if I tried to run with my wobbly legs, I’d just be a flea—what should I do?

Dozens of thoughts flashed through my mind in that brief moment.

While I was distracted by my escape plan, Jane suddenly leaned in and bumped my cheek with her head. I covered my cheek with a shocked expression.

‘She hit my cheek!’

Jane, who followed up with another bump to my cheek, left me more stunned.

‘Twice!’

After suddenly hitting my cheek, Jane seemed more puzzled than I was and tilted her head.

She then started sniffing me relentlessly. I stood frozen like a stone.

“Oh my gosh, Rabbit!”

At the sight of Lil running toward us, my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.

I could never admit that I was more afraid of Lil’s wind-swept face than of Jane, who was close by.

* * *

The clothes Lil brought me were stable worker’s attire, consisting of a simple top, overalls, and deep boots.

The outfit was simple enough to wear without much effort, though I had to roll the sleeves up four times.

As I tidied my clothes in Jane’s roofed shelter, something damp touched the back of my head. It was Jane, sniffing me repeatedly with her characteristic haughty gaze.

“Go, go away.”

I pushed the clinging presence away, rubbing the back of my head. At first, I had nearly fainted, but after nearly an hour of this behavior, I had somewhat gotten used to it.

“Goril, I mean, Lil. Come over here and sit.”

Jane’s stable was cozier and cleaner than most bedrooms. Sitting on the straw, I beckoned to Lil, who looked at me in a daze.

“That’s… quite strange. Even the stable worker says she’ll attack if she’s in a bad mood.”

“My guess is it’s because of Ahin’s pheromones. He always sprinkles some scent on me.”

As I tapped the spot for Lil to sit, Jane quickly occupied it and sprawled out, even snorting in disdain.

‘Are you Lil?’

By now, it felt almost like a tantrum. When I cautiously reached out my hand, Jane, without any resistance, offered her black head.

“Ahin’s scent, huh….”

With a complex expression, Lil plopped down on the straw pile opposite me.

“I don’t really know. Lil, don’t you feel anything?”

“Hmm, well, my sense of smell isn’t particularly sharp.”

It seemed that Lil, being a herbivore beastfolk, wasn’t very sensitive to pheromones. Scent, huh. I sniffed my wrist and then asked a question.

“Then how did you know I was a rabbit from the start?”

Surely, Lil seemed to recognize me the moment he saw me in the abandoned building.

“Well… even at the abandoned building, and until I handed you and Ahin over to the doctor, I was only half-sure. But how did you….”

Lil trailed off, hesitant to ask directly about my condition of switching between a rabbit and a human.

“I’m just a bit of an odd beastfolk.”

How could I explain this? I pulled my knees together as I leaned against Jane, who kept sticking close.

“So I was abandoned, but….”

“What? Who were those wretched people who abandoned you!”

Lil’s nostrils flared wide, almost as big as a coin. Avoiding his gaze, I continued my vague explanation.

“So I was abandoned, and then Ahin found me. I still don’t know whether I’m lucky or unlucky.”

What should I do? Talking about my story like this for the first time made my heart pound.

As I explained the daily struggles that felt like a war with the predators, Lil listened intently, his eyes growing misty.

“Lil, are you crying?”

“Thinking about the hardships you must have endured, I just….”

Should I say he has a strong sense of empathy? Contrary to his appearance, which seemed capable of breaking rocks, he had a delicate and kind-hearted nature, like glass.

“So, do you ever plan to return to the territory you originally lived in?”

‘Return to the territory?’

I fidgeted with my hands, burying myself deeper into Jane’s embrace. I could feel the warmth of the horse’s body through my back.

‘Return….’

I hadn’t even thought about it since I was still struggling with transforming back into a human. Suddenly, the words of the doctor I met in Endelus came to mind.

‘Predators harbor a deep-seated ferocity within. They constantly engage in conflicts and pursue power.’

‘Their level of conflict is different from ours. They are ruthless, driven by greed.’

The capybara beastfolk doctor had spoken casually, but it was more like a subtle warning disguised as idle chatter.

Perhaps it was a hint that herbivore beastfolk like me weren’t suited to live in a predator’s territory.

Her eyes, which had been anxiously watching the mark Ahin left on my neck, lingered in my memory.

“Someday….”

With my eyes closed, I murmured in a small voice.

As long as Ahin’s intentions towards me were tainted with impure motives, I had no intention of passively enduring whatever he had in store.

If I could learn to control pheromones as hypothesized, and achieve full human transformation, perhaps I would eventually find safety in a herbivore territory and stand on my own.

When that time comes, will Ahin let me—or rather, my abilities—go so easily?

“Sooner or later….”

Realizing that there would be an end to seeing Ahin buried deep in the blankets when he sleeps and wakes up, made my stomach churn.

I quickly shook my head, lost in thought.

Beneath the clear, curved eyelids were those murky red eyes, and behind those delicate hands was the rough palm of a black panther, used to gripping a sword.

If he got upset, he was cruel enough to throw a rabbit like me into a pot and boil it.

“One day, I will have to go back.”

Even though it feels like a distant future, something almost out of reach. I extended my arm and waved my fist instead of a paw.

“Hey, Lil, you’re a herbivore beastfolk too. Aren’t you afraid of the predators?”

Lil, still sorrowful, wiped away the tears and snot with his furry hand. Feeling awkward, I handed him the servant’s jacket that I had taken off.

“You’re so considerate, rabbit….”

Thank you. Lil blew his nose repeatedly into the jacket, his face tear-stained. Feeling a bit guilty towards the servant who was probably asleep in the study, I scratched the back of my neck.

“I was born and raised in Endelus. I’ve seen all kinds of clans since I was a baby, so I’m not really afraid. The unease I feel about their fangs is just instinct, but in the end, they’re beastfolk just like us.”

Nodding in agreement with his words, I thought that my own fear of being eaten was something I felt because I was in a rabbit’s body.

“But I….”

But where can a coward’s instinct go? Thinking of the particularly large predators made me feel like fainting for a moment.

“I’m still scared.”

“I understand. What I meant was ordinary predator beastfolk, but the lives of those in power are vastly different. Especially for a rabbit like you, this place….”

Lil, his emotions welling up again, patted my head with eyes brimming with tears like hailstones.

“It must have been quite tough for you. With that tiny little body….”

Tiny little body? He probably meant it as a comforting gesture, but as my head wobbled under his patting, I finally managed to speak.

“Um, Lil, no matter what, I’m a human right now, so calling me a rabbit is a bit….”

“It can’t be helped.”

“…What?”

“I just can’t do it. I can’t call you by your name.”

Why not? I opened my eyes wide in disbelief. Maybe my sharp expression made him feel hurt, as Lil suddenly burst into tears again, crying even louder.

“Now that I think about it, I like calling you rabbit.”

Flustered, I waved my hands and tried to say something, anything.

“Anyone can see I’m a rabbit, right… Jane?”

Suddenly, I felt a strange presence behind me and turned to look at Jane. She, who had been calm, started to breathe heavily with a guarded tension.

With the atmosphere suddenly turning eerie, both Lil and I, with our hair standing on end, clasped our hands together.

‘There’s something there.’

Something extremely dangerous was watching us from under the straw pile across from us.

“Rabbit, hide behind me.”

Jane, now excited and ready to burst, faced off against the unknown threat on the other side, and the situation couldn’t have been more tense. Mustering up every bit of courage, I spread my arms wide and stood in front of Lil, blocking him.

“No, I’ll use pheromones if it comes to that…!”

“Aah!”

Lil’s shriek pierced through the air, shaking my eardrums. In the blink of an eye, a beast shot out from behind the straw pile like a bolt of lightning.

* * *

Ahin leaped off his horse and ran in the direction the hawk flew. There seemed to be no particular commotion, as the mansion maintained its usual calm atmosphere.

The hawk soon adjusted its wings and landed on the terrace railing.

‘The study.’

Without even considering entering through the main door, Ahin took a few steps and vaulted over the terrace.

Inside the study, he couldn’t sense Vivi’s scent. As he moved between the bookshelves, he found three people lying on the ground.

Ahin halted and took a deep breath, his brows furrowing. Lilion, Meimi, and the servant were all sound asleep, covered up to their necks with blankets.

“……?”

What was most unsettling was the sight of his grandfather, Lilion.

His hair, usually braided and turned white with age, was tied into two cute pigtails just for today.

‘…What on earth.’

Ahin’s refined face crumpled like a wrinkled sheet of paper. Not wanting to see more, he bent down and gently tapped Meimi’s cheek.

“Meimi.”

Despite being a warrior sensitive to any presence, she couldn’t easily wake up.

“Meimi, wake up.”

After several shakes, it took a long moment before she finally opened her eyes and touched her temples. With her blurry vision, she saw a flicker of Everine’s clothing.

Blinking in a daze, Meimi sprang up as soon as she recognized Ahin.

“Master Ahin, the rabbit!”

“Explain what happened first.”

“Ah….”

She rubbed her face dry and explained everything, from Lilion discovering Vivi to how she inexplicably fell asleep.

After hearing the full story, Ahin glanced at the scattered basket. He had noticed that parts of the basket seemed damaged—it was evidence of Vivi’s anger and sorrow.

With a light kick, Ahin sent the basket tumbling and then half-opened the study door.

“Ma-Master Ahin? When did you…?”

The eyes of the two guard knights at the entrance widened in shock. It made sense, as the door hadn’t been opened since Lilion had entered.

“Who has been in and out of the study?”

“Excuse me? Ah… Lord Lilion forbade anyone from entering or leaving, so no one else has been here.”

“What about Ash?”

“She was with us up until an hour ago, but then she suddenly ran off somewhere,” 

Ahin closed the door before the knight could finish speaking. Turning back, he lifted Lilion’s blanket, followed by the servant’s blanket.

The servant, dressed neatly in a bow tie and vest, was missing his jacket, which had been carelessly discarded somewhere.

Ahin’s gaze moved to the servant’s poorly secured trousers, and the grinding of his teeth could be heard.

The servant’s disheveled appearance, missing a few key pieces of clothing, was a clear sign to Ahin that a clothes thief had been there. He brushed aside his bangs in frustration.

“…Meimi.”

The clothes thief was unlikely to be working with Rune this time, as Rune had been dragged off to the lion territory to attend the temple ceremony.

“Yes, command me.”

“Find a woman, discreetly.”

“A woman…?”

In these circumstances, the order to find a woman left Meimi confused, with questions about the rabbit rising to her throat.

“Long white hair down to her knees, purple eyes. She probably hasn’t left the mansion.”

“……”

“She’s not very large, so check closets and drawers as well.”

Meimi began to grasp what Ahin’s orders meant, and her hand, trembling slightly, pushed her red bobbed hair behind her ear.

Ahin opened the study’s storage room and added quietly, “There’s a good chance Ash is with her.”

“…Are you asking me to find the rabbit?”

Her voice wavered more than she intended. Ahin, lifting the heavy curtain and opening a massive drawer, gave no confirmation, instead, he smiled slyly.

“If she tries to run, pretend you’re hurt. She’ll stop on her own without needing to be caught.”

The realization solidified in Meimi’s mind, and a storm of emotions swept across her crimson eyes.

Ahin stepped to the window and looked up at the sky. The hawk spread its wings, casting a shadow on the ground as it signaled.

Meimi, peering out the window as well, turned pale. Several black panthers from the guarded forest had gathered, drawn by the hawk’s call.

“They’ll search the garden, so you focus on the annex.”

“…Understood.”

Meimi, too overwhelmed to ask any further questions, bowed deeply.

As the sunny afternoon continued, Ahin, now the seeker in a game of hide-and-seek, suddenly stopped walking.

He approached the sofa and looked down at Lilion. The calm expression on his face, completely oblivious to the turmoil Vivi must have felt nearly being trapped in a basket, irritated him to no end.

The dreadful pigtails were likely Vivi’s small act of revenge. Ahin reached out and clasped Lilion’s hands, bringing them to his chin, shaping them into a mock flower pose with a twisted smile on his face.

He didn’t care how the guards would react to this, nor did it matter to him if Lilion woke up, saw himself in the mirror, and fainted again.

* * *