TSROTRATBP Chapter 26

Having finished a meeting with Valens, Ahin, and the Grace household leadership, Rune strolled through the garden. No matter how he thought about it, the rabbit beastman he'd encountered three days ago was suspicious beyond measure.

Hair hanging all the way to her knees as if never groomed, and naked in an uninhabited room wearing only cloth wrapped around her.

Choosing interrogation, Rune circled to the estate's rear and stood beneath the window where the study was located. Security around the rabbit was stricter than expected, leaving only this route.

Confirming no nearby presence, he climbed the third-floor windowsill with a few light toe-springs.

'...Am I tired? I'm seeing things.'

Perched on the open windowsill, Rune rubbed his eyes. Yet his golden eyes trembled violently at the unchanged scenery he faced.

'What is that?'

Another strange thing had been added. First, the suspicious rabbit beastman Vivi, who'd claimed not to be a rabbit beastman, was reading a book larger than her rabbit body.

Not only that, but a full-grown black panther sat on a chair, looking down at the book together.

'Is this a dream?'

The only thing that seemed real here was Meimi, who'd noticed Rune's presence and was fingering beneath her apron.

However, with an unwelcoming light in her red eyes, she still apparently considered him an attempted rabbit kidnapper.

Rune's maintained composure in his golden eyes continued trembling. Staring vacantly at a scene hard to believe even seeing with both eyes, Rune turned back outside.

It seemed better to visit after adapting to this strange estate.

Ahin, who'd been toweling his damp hair, frowned.

"Vivi, why are your pheromones so thick?"

'My pheromones?'

I froze stiffly while avoiding the clinging Ash. It was apparently the aftermath of dedicating myself to pheromone practice the past few days.

Though I'd thought them properly stored, I still couldn't escape Ahin's nose. Having immediately caught me trying to flee, he lifted me onto his palm.

"Stay still, I'll conceal them."

'No, you can't!'

Horrified, I pushed away Ahin's approaching face with my hind legs. He must be planning to bite my neck and mark me with pheromones like last time.

'Absolutely not!'

If I inhaled pheromones, I might temporarily become human again.

Not yet, no. Until now, it seemed he'd marked me with pheromone scent through other methods—try that.

Perhaps such desperation didn't transmit, as Ahin smiled dangerously.

"I told you yesterday. Make an effort not to let others discover you're a beastman."

He seemed unwilling for others to know I was a beastman. While being careful wouldn't hurt me either, biting my neck right now was absolutely unacceptable. When I continued showing resistance, Ahin's smile grew murky.

"Ash."

As soon as the ominous feeling struck, he snapped his fingers and called Ash. The beast beneath the bed rose and sauntered over.

"Vivi, choose. Will you go into Ash's mouth, or will I bite you?"

'You beast!'

That's not fair! My eyes, dangling from his finger, grew fierce. Conversely, Ahin narrowed his red eyes with apparent satisfaction.

"Glaring like that sends a thrill through me."

'Y-you...!'

Before I could mentally spit out harsh words, my vision shook. Anticipating what would follow, I quickly held my breath.

No sooner had I done so than fangs weakly bit my scruff, just like last time. Water droplets from his wet hair fell drip, drip onto my body due to the proximity.

The sensation of teeth gnawing at my neck felt horrifying enough to make me faint. As I desperately held my breath, the hellish time ended and Ahin's lips withdrew.

'It... doesn't hurt?'

Bewildered, I cautiously opened my tightly shut eyes. Seeing that I wasn't suffocating or nauseous like before, not inhaling pheromones was indeed the correct answer.

My eyes sparkled, having solved one mystery.

I felt strangely short of breath. Due to external factors, not internal ones.

'Ugh...'

As if something were pressing hard on my throat. After moaning in distress, when I opened my eyes, Ahin's lips were right before me.

Momentarily frozen, I finally realized why I couldn't breathe. Arms were so heavy. I was pinned beneath deeply sleeping Ahin. Bringing my front paw to the firm arm encircling my neck—

'Wait, not a front paw?'

Five fingers rested on the silver gown Ahin wore. Moreover, pure white hair cascading messily across the bed entered my view.

The moment I confirmed this, I stopped breathing and suppressed a shrill scream. I'd definitely thought I hadn't inhaled pheromones, yet when had I transformed into a human?

'Could immunity develop for this too?'

If I'd transformed just from pheromones making close contact. That would be truly dreadful.

It meant the danger of transforming into a human at any time might have emerged.

Moreover, having failed to undergo the beastman fever leading to humanization, I swallowed my disappointment upon reaching the hypothesis that I might revert to rabbit form.

'Can't breathe.'

Unable even to make a sound, I concluded I first needed to escape Ahin's arm.

As if feeling cold, he always pulled the blanket up to his chin when sleeping, but in his sleep he'd apparently wrapped around my neck seeking warmth.

I felt like I'd really suffocate to death at this rate.

'F-first...'

Trying to move carefully, I suddenly froze at a strange sensation. The feel of a gown on bare skin and a firm body instinctively brought tension. Heat rose to my ear tips.

'...How do I escape?'

The neat lips right before me were the first problem. The distance was such that if I blinked, my eyelashes might accidentally touch Ahin.

Closing my eyelids firmly to block the view, I recalled temple prayers. Beast God, punish me for constantly glancing at his lips.

Having barely calmed my racing heart, I cautiously began moving. Carefully, carefully.

'I did it!'

After several minutes of struggle, I successfully turned my body to the opposite side. Releasing a sigh of relief—hah—I accidentally made eye contact with Ash beneath the lamplight.

A beast's eyes encountered in dim light were quite eerie. My body froze, wondering if Ash was wary of my human form.

If she made a loud sound. Unable to avert my gaze, as time passed I received a strange feeling. Ash's eyes seemed to have loosened drowsily somehow.

"Ash...?"

I called Ash in an ant-sized voice, but there was no particular response. She seemed almost intoxicated, wobbling.

'Is she sleeping?'

Did beasts that sat upright sleeping with eyes open exist? My complicated feelings suddenly froze when breath brushed the nape of my neck.

Just when I'd thought I'd escaped the arm around my neck, I felt Ahin's hot breath from behind as he'd shifted in his sleep. Between watching the opposite Ash and concentrating on the presence behind, my mind grew hazy.

Then, with Ahin rubbing his hair against my nape, suspicion bloomed in my horrified mind.

'He's not really asleep, is he?'

How many times had I fallen for this? On my first day here, he'd suddenly opened his eyes and commanded me to cry; the second time, he'd pretended to sleep until I stuck my paw in his mouth.

Given Ahin's skills, there was no way he wouldn't notice this level of disturbance.

Could he be toying with me again? With mischievous feelings, just as I was about to sit up, I burrowed into the blankets with timid wriggling. I currently wore not a stitch of clothing.

'What do I do...?'

Establishing the hypothesis that Ahin might be awake made my heart pound thump, thump violently.

Wasn't he even surprised I'd become human? Or had he perhaps caught a glimpse of my transformation at the ball?

Unable to produce any answers, I turned my body again, backing against Ash. Immediately, Ahin's fine face, lying diagonally, came into view.

It was a face that had always filled my vision, but now that I was human, I could see his disheveled silver hair and the line of his neck continuing below his ear. Even just sleeping, he gave off something obscene.

Unlike compact herbivore beastmen, predator beastmen supposedly possessed characteristically brilliant appearances. Thinking about it, Iverin was also beautiful when he didn't open his mouth, and I'd overheard estate employees whispering that Rune was handsome too.

After moving my lips hesitantly for a long while, I spoke quietly.

"...Ahin."

I'd called Ahin's name with my own mouth. Heat rose to my ear tips at the newly embarrassing feeling.

However, as if deeply asleep, no response came from him as he breathed evenly.

After watching with a grimace, I gathered a bit more courage and parted my lips.

"Ahin?"

Even after not seconds but several minutes, there was no reply.

At this point, it's really suspicious. With dubious eyes, I slowly extended my hand.

A soft texture touched my palm cutting through the air. Startled by the unfamiliar feeling, I jerked my hand back from Ahin's face and bit my lip.

Soon—smack—I lightly slapped his cheek, but he showed no signs of waking.

'Not even from this?'

With a puzzled expression, I smack hit him again, but there was no particular reaction. Though weak force, given his usual temperament, he should have awakened already and more.

'Is he really... sleeping?'

Staring blankly at Ahin's shh, shh breathing, I glanced back at Ash. This time her head was spinning while seated, like someone dead drunk.

Something's strange. Bewildered, I suddenly felt pheromones moving actively inside my body. I'd apparently scattered pheromones unknowingly at some point.

'...Could it be.'