TSROTRATBP Chapter 14

At those words, I sighed and released with a thunk the finger I'd been holding with my front paws. Startled by the lion's sudden appearance, I'd forgotten that Ahin was an unhinged black panther.

"Won't cling anymore?"

As if disappointed that I was no longer clinging, the amusement disappeared from Ahin's red eyes. His slightly lowered eye corners looked, if exaggerated, utterly disappointed.

Would you want to cling if you were me? My body, which had been hesitantly backing away, touched the lion's shoe. Having unintentionally bumped my rear, I hurriedly looked up.

The lion who had been staring at me unpleasantly soon curled his lips mischievously. The indifferent, bored-looking smile recalled exactly the characteristic laziness of lions.

"It seems the rabbit prefers filthy lions over Lord Grace."

"...That can't be."

His expression hardening instantly, Ahin approached without hesitation. At the explosive situation, even the surrounding security knights froze further.

Contrary to concern, he stopped right in front and lightly picked up my scruff. Ahin, confirmed from close range, didn't have an angry expression, but—

'......?'

Whether to call it serious or disappointed—it was a face difficult to judge.

"Flirt."

Having spat out that reproachful word, Ahin stuffed me into his pocket.

"Just so you know, bigamy is prohibited in black panther territory."

Why announce such a thing like it's a critical matter? Before I could grasp the intent, he turned his steps toward the estate.

Flailing, I climbed out of the pocket and barely managed to cling to Ahin's shoulder. Just then, the lion stretching behind us muttered.

"......Still a crazy bastard, as always."

Having heard clearly, I found myself nodding in agreement without realizing it.

Right, I actually don't understand what thoughts go through his head either. I think it's a truly accurate description.

After bringing the baby rabbit to the bedroom, Ahin returned to his office and brought his hand to his shirt collar. As he loosened the choking cravat, detecting an unfamiliar scent near his fingers made his mood even more unpleasant.

Rune Maniuntz. That annoying lion had deliberately rubbed his pheromone scent on the rabbit. Since Rune had clashed with Ahin at every turn since long ago, he'd surely noticed Ahin's scent on the rabbit and pulled this prank.

'This got troublesome.'

He sat at his office desk and flipped through documents.

In recent months, the wolf clan had increasingly stuck their heads in.

Considering it wouldn't be bad to prepare for possible war, the black panther clan head, Valens, had sent an alliance letter to the lion clan head.

Sure enough, the lion clan head immediately sent a positive response. The process was bound to be quick, given they'd considered wolves eyesores since ancient times.

Therefore, Ahin, assigned to this alliance matter, had been packed with schedules since morning.

Moreover, he didn't get along particularly well with the lion clan head's son, Rune Maniuntz, who came for every negotiation, leaving his mood already low. To make matters worse, the lion had gotten tangled up with his rabbit, even sparking the impulse to grind him to dust.

"Lord Ahin."

Iverin, who had entered the office, approached closely.

Tap, tap. Thin documents were presented to Ahin, who was drumming his fingers on the desk.

"This is the investigation material you requested. We investigated all nobles in rabbit territory, but there are no missing members or children from aristocratic houses. Additionally, even when investigating high-blooded merchants, there's no one who disappeared based on the date you brought the rabbit, my lord."

The documents listed the personal details of nobles and merchants existing in rabbit territory. Ahin, who had roughly flipped through the bundle of papers back and forth, let out a hollow laugh.

"A truly suspicious rabbit."

His attitude didn't seem disappointed despite learning no particular information. Observing his leisurely reaction, Iverin carefully spoke up.

"This is only my opinion, but... might the rabbit not be a beastman but possibly another species?"

"Another species?"

"Yes. At first I thought she might be a beastman going between original and human forms, but it's already been a month and she's still in rabbit form."

"True, her appearance hasn't grown either, staying the same. Though she has gained a bit of weight sideways."

"Thanks to Head Valens, she's plumped up nicely. How about roast rabbit now?"

For some reason the rabbit had captured Valens's heart, eating her fill of quality hay and snacks procured from various regions and gaining weight by the day. Ahin propped his chin, recalling the plump rabbit rolling around on the bed like a cotton ball.

'So she wasn't nobility.'

Though the possibility is low. Continental noble titles are mostly held by beastmen with high-quality pheromones. In this reality, having peculiar pheromones yet not being nobility was somewhat puzzling.

While Iverin hasn't directly sensed it yet, the scent occasionally leaking from the rabbit was definitely the characteristic pheromone of beastmen. The scent intensified the more she cried or became emotional.

'Certainly that ability is....'

His red eyes half-lowered, Ahin unconsciously brought his hand to the sutured wound on his back. Especially the scent the rabbit emitted when sleeping deeply was too subtle to be an herbivore beastman's pheromone.

Valens, who had reached a high level, had immediately noticed and taken interest in the rabbit. The higher the bloodline of predators, the keener their reactions to pheromones and various scents.

Moreover, if as expected, the rabbit's ability was the kind all beastmen on the continent would covet.

"Lord Ahin."

A voice filled with determination rang through the office. When Ahin looked up questioningly, Iverin clenched his fist with an extremely serious face.

"I will personally interrogate the rabbit about her identity."

"If you do that, she might truly come to hate you."

"I thought as much."

Recently, Iverin's greatest interest had definitely been claimed by the rabbit. Apparently, the rough reactions returning each time he teased her were quite enjoyable. Thus—

'Miss Rabbit. Please refrain from going to the dining room during mealtimes. You might climb onto the table.'

'Miss Rabbit. How could you overturn the hay bowl I prepared for you!'

'Miss Rabbit. The head chef says roasting rabbits whole is best.'

—due to such misdeeds, the rabbit currently shuddered whenever Iverin appeared.

Furthermore, recently when he'd been carrying around a book titled 「Everything About Cooking Herbivorous Animals」, the rabbit who saw him flew into a rage and tore it to shreds.

That was the first time Ahin learned a baby rabbit could display such rough behavior.

Ahin's red eyes, recalling those angry front paw kicks, turned toward Iverin.

"Iverin, you're quite twisted."

The rabbit already snorts just seeing Iverin, so he's already become a target of hatred and more. Glance—receiving that meaningful look, Iverin felt somehow wronged.

"I don't wish to hear such an assessment from my lord, of all people."

"Say that again."

"You are the source of all things and like light to me, Lord Ahin. Moreover—"

"Mouth."

"Yes."

Satisfied with the silence that arrived in one blow, Ahin buried himself deep in his chair.

Gazing into the air, he suddenly recalled the moment he'd first picked up the baby rabbit. Two beastmen wearing black clothing that anyone could see only shady types would wear had been transporting a basket.

'An order to abandon one's child to predators is a first.'

'Well, there were rumors she's an illegitimate child.'

'We need to leave her this deep to avoid complications later.'

'He commanded that she must die by the black panthers' hands.'

Leaving her to die by black panthers' hands means she's a discarded piece anyway, then? Recalling the conversation they'd had, Ahin unconsciously swept his tongue across his lips.

Seeing this, Iverin inwardly tensed. His superior with that expression always tended to cause trouble.

"My lord?"

Awakened from his thoughts, Ahin shifted his gaze from the air to Iverin. Soon his lips curled mischievously.

"Iverin, if anyone appears searching for that rabbit."

"Yes."

Ahin stretched out his hand and tapped the map on the desk. His fingertip indicated the Border Forest connecting rabbit and black panther territories.

"Kill them."

Moisture rising from the hot water had made the surrounding air humid.

"...I'm sorry."

Perhaps feeling apologetic for not helping in the garden, Meimi, who had been wiping my body with a warm cloth, rarely spoke up.

"Lord Rune Maniuntz is an important person who comes as representative for every negotiation with the lion clan."

Therefore, servants and knights couldn't freely restrain the lion beastman called Rune Maniuntz.

Negotiating with such a person—Ahin's family was definitely an aristocratic house holding considerable power even in black panther territory.

"From now on, it would be better to refrain from walks on days he comes."

Lion beastman, Rune Maniuntz, negotiation. Recalling the day's events, I carefully absorbed everything Meimi told me.

After finishing the unusually long bath and returning to the bedroom, I grew increasingly anxious as time passed.

Ahin would arrive soon, but no matter how I thought about it, he didn't seem likely to just overlook the garden incident. After all, right up until we parted, he'd been displeased about the lion scent.

'I need to hide.'

If I can't run away, shouldn't I at least hide? However, most places seemed easily discoverable.

As I kept looking around, I felt unjustly wronged. No matter how hard I concentrated my sense of smell, I couldn't even tell what lion scent was.

The lion encountered in the garden had suddenly complained about black panther smell, while Ahin muttered about lion scent and frowned. Predators apparently had senses in an entirely different dimension from herbivore beastmen.

'Not here either.'

Unfortunately, under the bed or beneath the sofa seemed like they'd be discovered immediately.

Running around the room here and there, I pricked up my ears.

Just then, the sound of security knights' armor scraping came from outside. Surely Ahin had appeared, prompting them to salute.

Soon, creeak, thud—ominous sounds of the door opening and closing rang out. Holding my breath fully, I focused on the footstep sounds. As I crouched tensely, anger surged at not knowing why I should be hiding.

'What's he to me?'