TSROTRATBP Chapter 9

The training dummy standing in the practice yard shattered into pieces with a piercing sound cutting through the air. A flying splinter from the impact grazed Ahin's hand.

He stood without dodging. Pale blood seeped from his hand.

"Wouldn't it be better to rest from training today?"

Iverin, waiting behind him, wore a look of concern. It had been only yesterday that the wolf clan attacked, after all.

The wolf clan, possessing barren lands, had long coveted the black panther territory with watchful eyes.

Crossing the border uninvited was a frequent occurrence, but recently the wolf clan's incursions into black panther territory had increased noticeably.

Thus the head of black panther territory had proposed that the wolf clan come under his command, but the wolf clan stubbornly refused and set their sights on the black panther territory itself.

Thanks to this, Ahin—the legitimate heir to the head—constantly faced unexpected attacks and assassination attempts.

"Excessive movement will strain your body. You were wounded on your back."

Ahin turned toward the dissuading Iverin and licked the blood from his hand.

"It's healed."

"...Pardon?"

"The wound."

"Indeed, Lord Ahin's exceptional recovery is unmatched by anyone."

Iverin gave his usual flattering response, but couldn't quite hide his exasperation.

There was no way the wound stitched just yesterday could be cleanly healed today.

He concluded it was merely an excuse to grip a sword and obediently stepped back. Ahin's stubbornness had never been something one could break anyway.

'...He doesn't believe me.'

Perceiving that Iverin treated his claim of being healed as a joke, Ahin slowly brought his hand up and swept near the wound area.

He himself would have dismissed it as a joke or nonsense. However, the wound healing was fact, not falsehood.

Early this morning, when he felt strangely little pain and checked his back, only a faint scar remained.

Clang. Ahin sheathed his sword and turned to Iverin with a slight smile.

"Iverin, investigate whether any members of noble rabbit families have recently died or disappeared."

Noble rabbit families? Iverin hesitated at the sudden instruction, then grasped the meaning and bowed deeply.

Ten days had already passed since I came to this mansion.

My daily routine had been consistently the same.

Meimi would arrive at set times and I'd spend the day with her, then in the evening I'd suffer Ahin's torments.

Occasionally his confidant Iverin would visit and turn things upside down.

'Lord Ahin, you said you'd have her roasted. Will you have her for breakfast?'

'No, I'll postpone eating her immediately for now.'

'Congratulations, Miss Rabbit. You've extended your life.'

Or,

'She's glaring again.'

'To glare at Lord Ahin—she must truly be extraordinary. Such courage surpasses most beasts of prey.'

'That much?'

'Yes. I see a general's spirit.'

Things like that. Thus Iverin ascended to become one of the most detestable black panthers in the mansion.

Occasionally when Meimi's attention wandered, I attempted escape, but daggers invariably flew and those attempts also decreased in frequency.

Even if I left the mansion, my chances of survival were low—I didn't particularly want to risk my life to daggers as well.

The garden walk time had arrived as on any other day. An event slightly different from usual occurred.

In the middle of the rose garden, I sat at a tea table constantly reading the atmosphere. Opposite me sat an exquisite woman who at a glance resembled Ahin far too closely.

Her swept-up silver hair and narrowly curved red eyes made it difficult to see her as unrelated to him.

"So, Meimi. This child is Ahin's food?"

The woman who had been savoring her herbal tea while looking at me spoke.

"...That is correct."

Hey, Meimi!

When I glared with fierce eyes, Meimi surreptitiously averted her gaze.

It wasn't a lie, though. After Ahin threw me to Meimi as future food, he gave no further indication. Officially, the designation was indeed food... I suppose.

"I heard a rumor about a miraculous rabbit who speaks."

"I apologize, but it seems to have been distorted. However, she can understand speech to some degree."

"Not an entirely false rumor, then. I wish to observe this child for a moment, so withdraw and wait."

"Yes, Madam Matriarch."

Madam Matriarch. At Meimi's last words, I finally let my carefully managed composed expression crumble.

As I thought—she resembled Ahin far too closely. Judging by the title "Madam Matriarch," the woman was his mother and the mansion's first personage.

"Child."

The woman's smile deepened after confirming Meimi had distanced herself so their conversation wouldn't be heard.

"Hold out your paw."

"Your foot too."

"Try sitting."

Truly strange requests. What was she making me do?

However, not being in a position to resist, I followed the instructions—extending front and back paws, sitting and raising my bottom repeatedly.

Ahin's mother, who had been watching me move this way and that, stroked her chin with satisfaction.

"...Extremely adorable. It seems Ahin raises food for this pleasure."

For a joke, it was quite a chilling line. With that single statement, I'd gone from emergency rations when first captured to reserve provisions being fattened for eating.

'Good grief.'

Let's not try to understand this logically.

My legs lost strength and I plopped down on the table with a thud.

She gently stroked my lower jaw and gave a gracious smile.

"If you wish to live long, don't be too obedient with Ahin. Though he's my son, he's quite a few screws loose. Predators by nature tend to devour prey when their interest wanes."

For advice delivered with a kind face, it was content that induced fainting. Enduring being treated as food already required courage—if I believed those words and even rebelled against Ahin, wouldn't I truly get bitten?

Yet ignoring it also felt unsettling. Having wanted to faint again after ten days, I pressed my front paw to my temple. I was on the verge of dizziness.

"Child, and also."

At the words not yet finished, I raised my head from my wilting state. Our gazes collided in midair.

I subtly averted my eyes, too frightened of the red eyes symbolizing black panthers, but the gaze refused to fall away.

After staring intently at me for a moment, Ahin's mother casually let the words slip.

"Just now I sensed extremely faint pheromones from you. Not now, though."