TSROTRATBP Chapter 2

Afterward, the man stuffed me into his pocket as if cramming me in, then moved somewhere.

In the process, he handled me so roughly that I ended up fainting.

The place I regained consciousness was a resplendent bedroom I'd never seen even in the Raebien mansion.

'...Where is this?'

I jumped around the fluffy bedding and despaired.

I absolutely didn't have the courage to jump off the bed. But I had to escape from here no matter what.

Before I lost consciousness—that is, just before entering the man's pocket—I'd seen something I shouldn't have seen.

Specifically, the scene of a head rolling around. And in the man's opposite hand was a sword stained with fresh scarlet blood.

Anyone could see the culprit who killed the two beastmen transporting me was definitely him.

The Raebien House maids said the black panthers from the neighboring territory were impatient and ferocious.

True to their words, the man should have killed me on the spot, so why did he bring me to a place like this?

Wracking my small brain, I arrived at a terrible conclusion. With the appearance of a baby rabbit, wouldn't I serve as an emergency snack rather than even emergency rations?

'No!'

I thumped the bed with my front paw as I screamed internally.

No, absolutely not. I declined the fate of ending up on a plate in this unfamiliar place rather than my homeland.

'If I'm going to escape, it's now or never.'

My eyes flashed as I began building momentum in my hind legs. Even if a bone broke, I had to jump down.

'...Here I go!'

I'm really jumping, I'm actually jumping!

Whoosh—with a heroic expression my body leaped, only to be seized by someone's hand in an instant.

Surely it wasn't the black panther from the forest earlier. When I stiffly shifted my gaze, a man with deep black hair was looking at me worriedly.

"That was truly a close call. To engage in such reckless behavior."

Fortunately or unfortunately, the owner of the hand that caught me wasn't the rude black panther from before.

The strange thing was that contrary to his neat impression and speech, his expression and voice were utterly emotionless.

Just as the tension was about to dissolve at that peculiar irony, I swallowed a wary breath again.

I mustn't let down my guard. Every hair on my body stood on end because of the fangs visible here and there whenever the man spoke.

Moreover, if the saying that black panthers mostly have red eyes was true, his irises also carried a reddish tint.

"Lord Ahin really, leaving such a small rabbit on the bed. By the way, this is our first meeting—where did you come from?"

Even if he asked, there was no way I could answer.

Rabbit territory, it's rabbit territory! Unfortunately, my internal cry didn't reach the man.

"I see. You cannot speak...!"

That's not something to be so surprised about. You're not very smart, are you? Let go! Though I cursed sharply inside, the man seemed to have no intention of putting me down.

"The floor would be safer than the bed."

Soon he walked to the sofa in the room and picked up a soft-looking cushion, placing it on the floor.

"Now that Miss Rabbit has come here, you must not be carelessly injured. Because you are Lord Ahin's possession."

The man explained quite seriously as he carefully set me down on the cushion. Even wiggling his finger as he spoke.

'Explain in more detail.'

What was with the strange title of Miss Rabbit, and what did possession mean? Feeling frustrated, I tapped the cushion with my front paw.

As if he'd understood somehow, the man gently stroked my head with his index finger.

"Furthermore, you must always maintain a clean appearance."

'Cleanliness?'

Puzzled, I stared up at him.

Still, from the man's words and actions so far, I'd been able to obtain some information.

The man before me was a subordinate of the black panther who'd put me in his pocket, and judging by the repeated title of Lord Ahin, that seemed to be the black panther's name.

'Say more.'

Because the more information, the better.

At my urging gaze, the man's lips opened as he stroked my head affectionately once more.

"Seeing how Lord Ahin personally brought Miss Rabbit into his bedroom like this, you're probably special!"

'Special?'

"Emergency rations, it seems."

...Truly wise words indeed. Once again I fainted while foaming at the mouth with a gurgle.