Grace Household
The staff of House Grace couldn’t contain their excitement for the first time in a while. While working, they would steal glances and whisper to one another, dozens of times over. In the end, the head chef shouted with a ladle in hand.
“There’s no such thing as a nymph in this world! Quit the nonsense and bake the pie!”
“Just for today, cut us some slack. It’s because the chef didn’t see her yesterday. She looks nothing like the black panther clan.”
The sous chef and assistants raised their voices in protest.
“That’s right. I’d stake my culinary career on the gossip rags being completely accurate.”
“Didn’t you secretly hope Miss Bunny would visit the kitchen again? Don’t you want to see her beastfolk form?”
“W-when did I ever! In this sacred kitchen, she kicked things around so violently—”
“Oh come on, then why have you been glancing around every time you sharpen your knives? Feeling guilty about looking so fierce back then…”
“Get to work!”
Valence passed through the corridor, ignoring the voices leaking through the cracks in the doors.
Click. Inside the office, Ahin and Lilion were already seated on the reception sofa.
“Old man, you ended up saying something unnecessary again.”
“If I want to speak for myself, what business is it of yours?”
The two were locked in their usual bickering.
Valence walked with straight posture and took the head seat. Ahin and Lilion, who had been arguing, noticed the strange heaviness in her expression.
“I am Valence Grace, head of the black panther clan and master of the House of Grace.”
No one from the black panther clan could be unaware of that fact. Ahin and Lilion blinked in confusion, unable to understand why she would bring that up in a family meeting.
“And yet, here I am, feeling alienated in my own territory, in my own house.”
Valence spoke each word as if chewing them bitterly and held her forehead. Alarmed, Lilion turned his body fully toward her.
“What nonsense is this? Which insolent fool has dared to…!”
“I alone did not see her.”
“What are you saying? I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you can see her.”
He growled with a voice tinged with fury. Realizing what Valence meant, Ahin’s expression twisted.
“You didn’t see the nymph. You came back late yesterday after staying longer by the grave.”
“Yes. Father said he saw her in the indoor greenhouse. You didn’t even leave a single portrait of her riding Bara?”
The one who had upset Valence’s mood was none other than the nymph rabbit.
Thud. Lilion’s cane dropped to the floor. One irreverent rabbit had thrown the whole mansion into chaos.
Regardless, Valence elegantly lifted her dress and half-rose from her seat.
“Perhaps I should go meet her before she turns back into a rabbit.”
“She’s not turning back, so let’s just start the meeting first. Why are you even here, old man?”
“Because your fluttering self caught my eye, so I followed.”
Lilion shamelessly replied, then firmly planted himself on the sofa, clearly unwilling to leave. Valence, calming her slight irritation, also sat back down in her seat.
“You know Ahin’s birthday is coming up soon, don’t you.”
“You called me here to ask how I plan to explain Vivi at that time.”
“You’re sharp.”
Ahin’s birthday, which came around every year, was always noisy due to issues concerning his partner.
Now that Vivi’s existence had surfaced thanks to the gossip papers, there was a chance the clan elders and affiliated families would begin to interfere.
Thinking of them nitpicking about her bloodline, abilities, and so on, Ahin slowly rested his chin on his hand.
“Everything would be resolved with just one word from Mother telling them to shut up.”
“And why should I do that for you?”
“Then are you fine with Vivi getting caught up in political games?”
Valence leaned back lazily into the chair without answering.
At some point, Ahin had stopped putting any restrictions on Vivi meeting Valence.
Whether she enjoyed a packed lunch in the garden, went for a walk just in front of the mansion, or had rabbit outfits tailored at the boutique—
Ahin had deliberately allowed it, hoping Valence would feel even a little affection for the rabbit. And Valence, fully aware of this, had helplessly fallen for the adorable ball of fluff.
“You’re dumping all the troublesome work on me.”
“Consider it my birthday present.”
Seeing them smiling as they clashed, Lilion thought the two were awfully alike and added quietly:
“She’s actually quite sharp. She’ll probably pick up noble etiquette in no time. If status becomes a problem, we can always adopt her into another noble house. She’s round-faced and rather pretty, so the elders won’t hate her too much.”
“……”
“Even the head families have occasionally formed marriage ties with other clans… ahem.”
Feeling the stares from both Ahin and Valence, he cleared his throat. Ahin quietly stared at Lilion, who sheepishly stroked his beard.
“Old man, have you been day-drinking?”
“How insolent!”
“You must really like Vivi if a few weeks of teaching got to you this much.”
Lilion kept coughing and turned his head toward the empty space, his exposed ears slightly flushed.
“She’s quite knowledgeable. Speaks as if she’s memorized entire books.”
“How can a rabbit speak?”
“W-with her forepaws… ahem, you know what I mean.”
Lilion finally decided to accept the dreadful reality.
“That makes sense. She must’ve read the same book multiple times.”
“What?”
“Nothing important.”
Vivi had repeatedly read the book Valence had first gifted her until the pages wore out. Ahin and Meimi had assumed it was simply because she liked it.
But as soon as she was granted free access to the library, Vivi eagerly sought out new books like a fish returned to water.
Back when she lived in House Rabian, she must have only been allowed to read the same book until someone changed it for her—so she never thought to ask.
Ahin regretted again not tearing those people apart. He changed the subject.
“More importantly, Mother, when did you teach Vivi that technique?”
“Technique?”
“How to aim her pheromones.”
“Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”
Valence gave him a puzzled look that seemed to say, “Why would anyone need to be taught that?”
“Then was it you, old man? Before she went to the rabbit territory?”
Lilion lightly shook his head.
“You wouldn’t even let me near her. How could I have taught her that?”
“…Then who taught her?”
“How would this old man know?”
“……?”
A wave of question marks flooded the office. Ahin, momentarily stunned, ran a hand over his lips.
‘Don’t tell me… she figured it out on her own?’
Perhaps it was a result of practicing flips in the training yard. It was a ridiculous thought, but he pondered over it seriously.
A technique like that would require high-level pheromones. A simple maid like Meimi wouldn’t be able to teach her.
It wasn’t her, and Everine had denied it too. Quinn didn’t have high-grade pheromones, and besides, he didn’t have the patience to teach something like that.
Someone with high-grade pheromones who might’ve taught Vivi a technique like that…
*‘Rune Manionts.’*
Ahin guessed the answer and let out a cold smile.
* * *
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