TSROTRATBP Chapter 10

Having returned to Ahin's bedroom, I wore a grave expression.

Something was there. By this point, it was absolutely not a matter to simply overlook. Both Ahin and even his mother.

'You smell of pheromones.'

'Just now I sensed extremely faint pheromones from you.'

I'd heard that beasts of prey have far more developed senses than herbivore beastmen. If such beings suddenly told me I smelled of pheromones, it might not be a mistake.

Pheromones appear after humanization progresses, but exceptions always exist. Judging by me—a beastman yet still in baby rabbit form all this time—I couldn't be assessed as a common case.

'Even so...'

However, I had absolutely no idea how to achieve humanization.

What the family maids occasionally said while tending to me was that at some moment I'd suddenly become human or something.

'Miss Vivi, you go poof and transform!'

Did that make sense? They said after going through several hours of fever, one transforms into a human, but having never seen or experienced it, it remained merely vague imagination.

As I blankly looked up at empty space, past days swept by like a panorama.

'Utterly shameful. The scandals following me because of you are...'

'Sister, just give up now. I'll catch a good rabbit later and put it in the cage with you.'

'Do it carelessly—Miss Vivi can't tell anyone anyway. Can she even speak?'

Humanization. For eighteen long years, the single wish I'd repeated between longing and disappointment ignited once more.

Closing my eyes tightly, I concentrated to feel the pheromones inside my body.

And nothing whatsoever happened.

Entering the bedroom earlier than usual today, Ahin placed me directly onto the bed without even changing clothes.

Then he too lay prone and gazed intently at me. An awkward silence passed for a moment.

"...Hey."

'What!'

Why are you staring so intensely?

Having vented my complaint inwardly as always, I cautiously pulled my bottom backward. His beautiful face was too close and burdensome.

No sooner had I done so than he grasped my nape to seal my movement and slowly opened his lips.

"Today those idiots... no, the wolf clan attacked again."

At the fangs visible right in front, I grew dizzy and squeezed my eyes shut.

"So I got hurt."

'Got hurt?'

Wondering if it was a major wound like that time, I opened my eyes slightly.

However, unlike that day, no particular bloodstains existed on the navy uniform decorated with silver epaulettes. Moreover, no blood scent was detectable either.

As I examined him doubtfully, Ahin turned his head at an angle and pointed to his left cheek.

"Here."

I stared at the pure white cheek and frowned. It was a scratch barely qualifying as a wound—something that would disappear in a day or two.

Calling something like this as though he'd suffered some grand injury. Having become incredulous, I snorted and he blinked his red eyes.

"Won't you treat it?"

'Why should I?'

How was a baby rabbit supposed to treat a wound, for that matter? Having scoffed at the absurd demand, I waved my front paw.

"Won't you treat it?"

'I won't.'

As I continued ignoring him, the smile vanished from Ahin's expression. Soon raising his body, he snatched my nape and lifted me into the air.

"A rabbit who can't even treat wounds isn't needed. Ah—"

This insane beast! Ahin tilted his head as though truly about to eat me and opened his mouth.

'Mama!'

As fangs glinted right below, I turned pale and struggled with my whole body.

It seemed my hind legs might enter his mouth at any moment. Having finally brought my body near his lips, Ahin curved his eyes roundly.

"Feeling more inclined to treat it now?"

Of course. When I nodded quickly, he lowered me back onto the bed. Bending his body to lie prone again, Ahin presented his cheek.

How was I supposed to treat this? As I stared at the red mark in confusion, Ahin's eyebrows crumpled with displeasure. It was nothing less than silent urging.

'I'll fix it, I'll try to fix it!'

Shaking my head flutter-flutter, I looked back and forth between my front paw and the red mark.

Trying to swallow this me in one bite—if I had my way, I wanted to fling my front paw and create one more scratch wound.

'This is troublesome.'

How could I satisfy this lunatic's demand? No matter how much I pondered, with a four-legged baby rabbit's body, applying medicine was impossible.

Lost in thought, when Ahin's eyebrows twitched again, I hurriedly approached and lightly licked the wound.

Naturally the wound wouldn't heal, but in my current form this was the best option.

At the sudden action, his expression turned blank for a moment before he straightened his head.

"That's treatment?"

Then what exactly do you want from me? Do you actually want to get hit with a front paw?

As I stared in bewilderment, Ahin's face gradually became subtle. Somehow it felt like our communication had crossed wires.

Soon straightening from his prone posture, he exhaled a dissatisfied breath.

"Well..."

Red eyes slowly shifted and fixed on me. After gazing at me briefly, Ahin smiled crookedly and touched the scratched area.

"This isn't bad either."

Having let slip incomprehensible words, he rose and walked toward the bathroom.

First demanding I treat his wound, now having no use for me. With a dumbfounded face, I kicked my hind legs at the arrogant black panther's retreating back.

'Insolent beast!'

If I didn't take even this petty revenge, I felt I'd develop an anger induced illness.

After the day we met in the rose garden, Ahin's mother always held tea time matching the hours I went out for garden walks.

Thanks to this, garden walks were no longer part of my routine—instead, this peculiar tea time with her became one of my daily activities.

"Fine weather."

'Indeed.'

I closed my eyes gently while receiving the blowing breeze. The sky was clear without a single cloud, and the rose scent scattered by wind created a peaceful atmosphere.

At first, Ahin's mother—the Madam Matriarch possessing fangs—made me quite uncomfortable, but as our meetings continued, it wasn't particularly a difficult time.

Just chewing the hay she offered earned her praises of "well done" and "magnificent," and so forth.

Moreover, thanks to her occasional not-quite-soliloquies, I could access quite a lot of information.

For instance, that Ahin had held his coming-of-age ceremony this year. Always busy averting my gaze from fangs, but recalling now, he had that subtle appearance right between boy and young man.

While I was lost in thought gazing at empty space, her gentle voice continued.

"Adorable. The way your mouth wiggles is extremely cute."

"Child, hold out your front paw."

"Eat this."

Thanks to her contributions, I was growing plumper by the day.

Knowing about tea time's existence, Ahin even spouted nonsense about a pig-rabbit while turning my body over.

Ahin's mother introduced herself as Valens Grace and ordered me to address her as Lady Valens. Of course, despite having no possibility of speaking.

'Grace?'

The surname Grace gave me a strange sense of déjà vu, but if she was a noble of high standing in black panther territory, I'd likely heard it in passing somewhere.

"Try eating this too."

Lady Valens's expression turned subtle for a moment while watching me eat the head chef's masterpiece—handmade hay.

Immediately extending her hand, she suddenly flipped my body over.

"...Child."

At the voice noticeably lower than usual, I looked at her with a start. Lady Valens, stroking near my nape with her fingers, opened her lips again.

"Try holding your breath briefly, then think of pressing down on the blood vessels inside your body."

Hold my breath and press down on blood vessels?

I couldn't understand the meaning, but her expression was so stern that I held my breath as instructed. As I quietly concentrated, a strange energy stirring inside my body could be felt.

'What, what is this?'

It was an unfamiliar sensation I'd never encountered in my life. Did she mean to press down this energy? Ruminating on the puzzling words, I just tried exerting force until blood rushed to my face.

After a brief time, her somewhat more lenient voice was heard.

"Clever child. You've stored it well."

Her extended index finger gently stroked my head. Receiving the praising touch, I mulled over the energy inside my body I'd just felt.