When I opened my eyes, what greeted me was the familiar ceiling of my bedroom and Meimi, who had a cloth covering her nose.
Before I could figure out what was occupying Meimi’s nose, the work clothes I borrowed from Lil were taken off.
“The clothes were prepared in a hurry, so the length might not fit.”
“It’s fine.”
Then, even while taking a bath in a tub with fragrance oils and putting on a negligee, there was an awkwardness between us.
The truth was, only Meimi seemed to feel this strangeness. Because of this, I couldn’t even ask why she had a nosebleed.
Moreover, Meimi kept making mistakes she would never usually make, like stumbling over her own feet or bumping her shin against the table. This made it even harder to start a conversation.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When she finished attending to me, she greeted me with the same formal tone as when I was a rabbit. As I held onto the hem of my negligee, I cautiously observed her.
The moment Meimi was about to leave the bedroom, I instinctively reached out and grabbed her clothing.
“Meimi.”
There were so many things I wanted to say. But once I held onto her, the words wouldn’t come out easily. Feeling shy for no reason, I blushed, not knowing what to do.
For some reason, Meimi’s earlobes also seemed slightly red. If someone saw us, wouldn’t they think we looked like a couple who had just started dating?
“…You were really surprised, weren’t you?”
After a long while, she finally nodded with a cold expression.
Of course, it must have been overwhelming to see a rabbit suddenly transform into a human. I had anticipated it, but facing her made me feel bitter.
“That, in the study earlier….”
What was I trying to say? My mind went blank, and I opened and closed my mouth. Since there was about a hand’s breadth difference in our heights, she looked down at me and slowly began to speak.
“I’m sorry for causing you concern due to my inexperience.”
A faint smile appeared on Meimi’s lips, only to disappear quickly.
“I was just a little surprised, but I don’t dislike you, Lord Rabbit. Please feel at ease.”
She didn’t dislike me. Overwhelmed with emotion, I couldn’t help but hug Meimi tightly. Though she seemed startled at first, she soon cautiously stroked my back.
“What are you doing?”
As we shared a heartfelt embrace, a voice suddenly startled us, making us turn our heads. The intruder, who we hadn’t noticed entering, was leaning against the door.
Ignoring Ahin, I hugged Meimi even tighter, sending a signal for her to take me away.
‘Meimi.’
Don’t go. But Meimi, ignoring my desperate plea, forcibly unwrapped my arms from her waist.
“I shall take my leave now.”
In an instant, she turned into a betrayer, bowing before leaving the bedroom.
We were getting along just fine a moment ago. I reached out, clinging desperately, but the door closed coldly. Looking around the suddenly chilly bedroom, I cautiously reached for the doorknob.
“Vivi.”
As expected, Ahin’s slow voice pierced the back of my head.
“Where are you going at this hour?”
“A black panther is nocturnal.”
“So what?”
Since Ash was recently staying in Meimi’s room, I awkwardly laughed and continued with my excuse.
“I thought I might get Ash a midnight snack….”
“It’s a bit surprising that you’re trying to become a midnight snack yourself.”
Damn predator.
“Well, anyway, I’ll be back.”
“Have a good time.”
Leaving Ahin, who was waving his hand languidly, I flung open the door.
The guards at the entrance looked down at me in surprise. I’d thought this before, but their red, glaring eyes looked vicious, like those of a beast.
“Is there something wrong?”
“…Oh my.”
“……?”
Squeak, the door slowly closed, and I caught a glimpse of the guards’ flickering gazes through the narrowing gap. When the door was fully shut, Ahin let out a sarcastic laugh and headed to the bathroom.
Vivi wasn’t the type to stay still after being ridiculed. Determined not to lose, I was about to open the door leading to the terrace when I froze in place.
Outside the glass, perched on the railing, was a white hawk. The terrace was firmly guarded by Ahin’s sentinel.
‘Go away.’
Bang, I slammed the door fiercely in a threatening manner, but the hawk merely scoffed at me.
A black panther, a horse, and now a hawk. They say pets resemble their owners, and it couldn’t be more true.
Glaring up at the hawk, I ended up not opening the door. Instead, I pulled the curtains so it couldn’t see inside.
The sound of water started coming from the bathroom. Perhaps because I was here, Ahin hadn’t called for any attendants and was preparing to go to bed on his own.
Feeling a strange sense of unease, reminiscent of when I first arrived here, I anxiously bit my lip.
It was already hard enough to sleep with Ahin as a rabbit, but spending the night in my human form? It felt like torture. I even seriously considered using pheromones to turn back into a rabbit.
As I wandered around the bedroom in a panic, the sound of water gradually ceased, signaling that Ahin had finished his bath.
‘Oh no.’
Calm down, this happens every day. Despite my resolve, my restless footsteps revealed my anxiety.
Eventually, I found a blanket large enough to cover my entire body and settled down on the sofa. The moment I heard the door click open, I pulled the blanket over my head.
“Vivi, aren’t you hungry?”
I felt Ahin, fresh from the bath, sit down beside my head.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t really eaten anything properly all day. The hunger hit me belatedly, but I was more desperate to sleep, so I kept my eyes tightly shut.
“Not really. I’m not that hungry.”
Growl, contrary to my earnest wishes, my stomach began to grumble. Ahin chuckled softly, pulling the blanket down to expose my nose.
“Eating before bed might give you a stomachache, so just hold on with some milk for now.”
Droplets of water from his hair fell onto the partially unbuttoned shirt, darkening the fabric.
This predator is dangerous just by existing. I held my breath, unable to react.
In my dazed state, my body was lifted, and a warm cup was pressed to my lips. I drank the milk without resistance, and as time passed, my eyes softened.
‘I can’t believe this.’
Was everyone enjoying something this delicious except for me? In no time, I emptied the cup and contentedly nuzzled into the sofa.
“Vivi, come over here.”
After setting aside the empty cup and finishing drying his damp hair, Ahin sat on the bed.
Here it comes. Regaining my senses after being seduced by the milk, I casually lay back down on the sofa.
“Good night.”
I didn’t forget to give him a nonchalant wave. Thankfully, my voice was stable, showing no sign of my inner turmoil.
Keeping my guard up, I suddenly heard a loud thud behind me.
What is he up to now? I turned my head nervously, only to see Ahin sprawled on the bed.
He clutched his chest, letting out shallow breaths. If it weren’t for his broad shoulders and the contours of his shirt, he could have easily been mistaken for a frail young boy.
‘This can’t be real.’
The effort he puts into teasing me is remarkable. I snorted dismissively and turned my body away, choosing to ignore him.
Tick-tock, even after a considerable amount of time had passed, there was no movement from Ahin. Sneaking a glance, I saw he was still lying motionless on the bed.
“Ahin?”
Feeling uneasy, I bolted upright and squinted at him. Was that sweat on his forehead?
If he’s just teasing, I’ll be angry, but if he’s really sick….
‘He’s someone who could drop dead at any moment, yet instead of planning for his future, he’s fooling around like this.’
His grandfather’s strangely unsettling words echoed in my mind.
“Ahin.”
Finally, I threw off the blanket and jumped onto the bed without hesitation. It wasn’t a trick. Up close, I could see the faint sheen of sweat on Ahin’s forehead.
“What should I do….”
Is he running a fever? I asked myself, nearly in tears, as I touched his forehead.
“Ah,”
…hin. I couldn’t even finish saying his name before it got swallowed back down my throat. Ahin’s shoulders trembled as he lay face down.
Right, sometimes when you’re really sick, you start to shiver. I hardened my expression, trying to steady my increasingly troubled mind.
I crawled closer, inspecting him. His face was buried in the bedding, leaving only his flushed ear and neck visible.
“Your expression,”
The patient’s trembling voice finally broke the silence.
“Your expression is hilarious….”
‘…This is.’
Surely, a drastic measure was needed. With that diagnosis, I grabbed the pillow from the bed and pressed it against his silver head.
“Vivi, I can’t breathe. I’m suffocating.”
“Shut up!”
Let’s see if you can really pretend to be sick. Gritting my teeth, I pushed the pillow down harder.
“Now you’re even using tools instead of your front paws.”
In that brief moment, Ahin quickly flipped over and grabbed both of my wrists. His silver hair, now thoroughly disheveled from the pillow attack, partially covered his face.
“Let me go!”
“Why are you avoiding me?”
Just as I was about to break free from his grasp, Ahin’s question stopped me in my tracks.
“Do you realize that you haven’t looked at my face even once since earlier?”
It’s because I keep becoming too conscious of you… I avoided his gaze, now that I was standing over him lying down.
It was one thing when I was a little rabbit, but now that I was a fully grown adult, sharing a bedroom was no trivial matter.
‘Doesn’t Ahin feel uncomfortable at all?’
I stole a glance at him with a sidelong look. This predator probably had no idea how chaotic my thoughts were.
‘No, that’s not right.’
Considering the intense pheromones I experienced at the ball… Nobles might be more lenient about matters of intimacy than common folks. Even the reactions of Meimi and the guards suggest that they didn’t hide me away when I passed out.
‘Maybe he’s not planning to keep this a secret any longer.’
Given how I’ve changed today, it’s bound to be revealed eventually. While I could revert to being a rabbit and forget about it, Ahin would undoubtedly be plagued by rumors by tomorrow.
“Vivi, I can hear your brain working all the way out here.”
Ahin tugged at a strand of my hair, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
“Why don’t you just say it?”
His low voice, coaxing and too close for comfort, made me tense. I stared into the distance, into the void, and finally spoke with difficulty.
“When I’m in my human form… I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
It would be problematic if I turned back into a rabbit while sleeping in a separate bedroom.
“Why?”
“Because…”
He can’t possibly not know the reason. Clamming up like a shell, I stayed silent as Ahin’s fingers slowly twisted the strand of hair around and around. My thoughts naturally focused on the tugging sensation.
“You’ve had some tough days.”
Why was he suddenly sighing like that?
“One day, you kicked me in the forehead with your hind leg while sleeping. Another day, you rubbed your nose against mine.”
“…That was while I was half-asleep.”
“And one day, you stuck your paw in my mouth. Watching your face every day was just the beginning.”
Why didn’t he just pretend not to notice… My ears burned with embarrassment.
“Didn’t you once burrow under my robe?”
“I mistook it for the blanket back then…!”
The memory that flashed through my mind made my cheeks flush with heat. Ahin, his smile holding more meaning, twisted my hair around one more time.
“As long as you don’t touch me, nothing will happen.”
That’s exactly why I said I’d sleep on the sofa. But I couldn’t confess that, so I got up, trying to escape.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
In an instant, Ahin grabbed my ankle, and I tumbled back onto the bed.
What kind of misdeeds have I committed in my sleep? Overwhelmed with embarrassment, I wanted to dig a hole beneath the pillow and disappear. For the first time, I cursed my larger form.
* * *
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