TSROTRATBP Chapter 19

As soon as he finished speaking, whine—the wolf's pained cry came from above.

Soon, with urgent footsteps, Meimi appeared at the terrace railing. Uncharacteristically, her expression had crumbled.

"Miss Rabbit!"

Meimi's wandering gaze soon settled on me, held in Ahin's hand. Haa. The relieved breath she exhaled scattered into the air.

'Meimi...!'

Seeing Meimi, I finally felt free from death's shadow. As my thoroughly tensed body relaxed, tears threatened to pour out. Just then, Ahin's warning whisper reached my ear.

"Don't cry right now."

As if this bastard hadn't ever sung about crying more? Feeling absurd, I glared at him, and he responded by rounding his eyes. His thinly folded red eyes gleamed as though truly containing a warning, so I bit my lip hard and swallowed my tears.

According to Iverin's explanation, the wolf that appeared in the library was a hybrid beastman of black panther and wolf clans.

No wonder his eyes were red—he must have had black panther blood mixed in. Moreover, that wolf chose suicide immediately upon receiving Meimi's attack.

Confirmed to have infiltrated through the simple temporary staff recruitment process, a commotion arose late that night as all staff reverted to their true forms to prove they were black panther clan members.

I'd heard relations between black panther and wolf clans were precarious. Using a hybrid beastman to attempt infiltration was unimaginable in rabbit territory.

Why attack me specifically, I wonder. Was he simply too hungry, or was he curious because I was Ahin's food?

Moreover, such an extreme choice as suicide was so different from the world I'd lived in—it felt like a distant story, as if someone else's affair.

Various questions flooded in, but a hand smoothly extending forced me awake from my thoughts.

'Move.'

When I smacked away the back of his hand, the large hand retreated. This situation had already repeated ten times.

With Ahin and Iverin currently out investigating, Meimi and I were waiting in his office. The only problem was the lion beastman named Rune, who kept reaching toward me as I sat on the sofa.

'Why is this predator even here?'

When his hand approached again—swish—refusing to give up, Ahin's voice echoed in my mind.

'Vivi, if you come back reeking of that scent one more time, then...'

'If you come back reeking of that scent, then...'

Then...! Shudder. I trembled and roughly batted away Rune's hand.

"Ow."

'I hit you so it would hurt.'

Glaring daggers, when I met the golden eyes characteristic of the lion clan, I slyly averted my gaze. Rune, whose hand had flushed red from repeated skirmishes, turned toward the waiting Meimi.

"Excuse me. This one—she's a beastman who released humanization, right?"

"She is an ordinary Miss Rabbit."

Meimi denied it flatly. However, since it was half correct—a beastman if not humanized—I startled and backed away warily.

Could he sense my pheromones like Lady Valens did? But I'd definitely kept them contained properly.

"I don't think so."

Rune, not abandoning his interrogation, opened his mouth again. His voice carried excessive certainty.

"My apologies, but she is an ordinary Miss Rabbit."

"Ordinary, my foot. The rumor that she understands speech is widespread."

"A somewhat special Miss Rabbit."

Can't you answer without that blasted "Miss Rabbit"? Sometimes Meimi was truly stubborn.

"Is he really raising her as a pet? That black panther?"

Rune, who'd been scrutinizing me thoroughly with golden eyes, scoffed. Up close, contrary to Ahin's mischievous impression, Rune had a bored yet sharp appearance. Faintly, the laziness characteristic of lions seemed to show through.

"Well. How could anyone read an insane black panther's thoughts?"

Last time he called Ahin crazy. It's a valid point, but what exactly is his status that allows such uninhibited remarks about him? Meeting my gaze full of questions, Rune muttered.

"Why did the wolf target you?"

"......"

"Well, you do look tasty."

Predators' heads were definitely filled with nothing but appetite. Otherwise, how could they spout such cruel nonsense?

Seeming utterly unconcerned with my shocked state, Rune checked his pocket watch indifferently.

"With this commotion, the ball might be postponed."

"Since invitations have already been sent, unless there's a major incident, it will proceed as scheduled."

"...Ah, what a bother. Can't I just return to my territory?"

When Meimi answered, his annoyed expression buried itself in the sofa back. His incomprehensible lament about how his sister would kill him if he returned like this continued in mutters.

'A ball?'

Watching Rune's curls scatter from the momentum, I finally understood why the number of servants had increased.

The Raebien family also recruited temporary staff when hosting balls. Though I was never given the opportunity to attend, in an estate this size, wouldn't the scale be twice that of the Raebien family?

If members of other clans were attending, it was beyond estimation. Thinking absently, I stole glances at Rune.

"Were you very frightened? Infiltration by other species into the sovereign's estate isn't particularly rare."

Laughter spread over Rune's bored expression, misunderstanding my gaze. It felt both mocking and like a voice stating something truly insignificant.

"This isn't really a place for herbivores to live."

"Lord Maniuntz."

Perhaps worried about my state after being chased by the wolf, Meimi immediately stepped forward to stop Rune's words. Though the terror from that time hadn't completely faded, I was currently trembling for a different reason.

'Sov...what?'

Ah. Wanting to avoid facing reality, I pressed my front paw to my head and shrank.

The Grace family. Valens Grace. Ahin Grace.

Faintly, conversations among Raebien household maids passed through my mind.

'The province was in an uproar recently.'

'A Hyena clan delegation passed through the city. Since the Grace family is just beyond the Border Forest, they appeared in town claiming to take a shortcut.'

'Ugh, of all things, to border black panther territory. And the bordering family had to be the sovereign's clan.'

They occasionally gossiped about predators, mostly conversations about black panther and lion clans bordering their territory. I finally realized the identity of the déjà vu I'd felt when hearing Lady Valens's full name.

'It was the sovereign's family...!'

In territories without royalty, the Sovereign was essentially the head encompassing all black panthers. Naturally, the great estate with multiple annexes and its splendid interior rose like a panorama.

Then Lady Valens, the family head, meant the sovereign of black panther territory, and Ahin, the heir apparent, was....

'The next sovereign of black panther territory.'

Stay calm, stay calm. However, unable to settle down easily, I couldn't stop circling the sofa.

"What's wrong?"

"Miss Rabbit?"

Questioning voices sounded, but they only passed through one ear. I could finally understand Ahin's willful temperament and arrogance as if he owned the world.

'Beastmen die all the time at the Grace family?'

'If you go to the forest, it's full of corpses. How could we understand the predators' world?'

Circling in place, I finally plopped down.

'Not just a noble young master, but the Sovereign?'

Somehow, my vision felt as dark as black panther fur.

By the time we returned to the bedroom at dawn, an awkward atmosphere circulated between Ahin and me.

More precisely, I was unilaterally feeling uncomfortable. Unfortunately, Ahin was also giving blatant stares today, making it feel even more awkward.

'The sovereign's family.'

For a noble, Ahin didn't employ a large number of servants. He mostly traveled alone, and the attendants entering and leaving his bedroom were always consistent. Perhaps because black panthers generally live solitary lives.

Therefore, I hadn't anticipated such a high position. Had I remained at the Raebien house, he would be an unreachable existence I'd have no opportunity to even meet.

When the bathroom door opened, I reacted sensitively and dug a tunnel under the pillow.

How much time had passed since hiding there? Sharpening my hearing, I sensed clatter and movement.

"In black panther territory, subordinates who disobey orders are sometimes executed by beheading."

Though monotone, my body flinched at catching the hidden meaning beneath.

"I assigned Meimi, who can protect you, with both surveillance and escort implications. But she failed to accompany you."

Anxiety rising, I peeked my head out from under the pillow. Ahin, sitting lightly on the bed, tapped my nose with his finger.

"Do you want Meimi punished?"

Of course not. She'd only been away for perhaps ten minutes to bring my preferred hay. My heart ached while feeling apologetic. When I shook my head, Ahin's lips curled round upward.

"But that's not your authority. It's mine."

Then why ask? Pushing aside my annoyed thought, I quickly rose and grabbed Ahin's hand.

'Please have a generous heart.'

My trembling pupils turned toward Ahin's sword sheath standing near the sofa. Dark red blood was caked on the hilt.

I could easily predict he'd committed slaughter today as well. Knowing his status, it struck me more forcefully that such matters were trivial to Ahin.

Therefore, beheading was absolutely not a distant story—with Ahin, it seemed he really would cut off heads without a second thought.

Having imagined Meimi's head cleanly severed, I turned deathly pale and shook my head repeatedly.

"...The more I think about you nearly being eaten by that cur, the filthier I feel."

Soon Ahin, wiping the smile from his expression, muttered.

"I'm holding back so much."

'Wh-what are you holding back?'

How can you attack so suddenly like this? Unable to quite faint, I stared with shocked eyes.

"Anyway. Instead of pardoning Meimi according to your wishes, shouldn't there be give and take between us?"

It was no different from proposing a one-sided transaction with Meimi's life as collateral. As I made a disgruntled expression, when his gaze settled, I hastily played dumb. With the stare fixed on my profile, silence stretched eerily long.

"I forgot to mention—you can't cry elsewhere."

'...What does that mean?'

Feeling inexplicably anxious at the sudden demand, I straightened my head. When did he say crying would save me?

Come to think of it, when I jumped from the terrace, Ahin whispered not to cry. Could there be some separate reason?

"Only cry when I demand it."