Chapter 9

The moisture rising from the hot water dampened the surrounding air.

“…I’m sorry.”

Since she felt sorry for not being able to help in the garden, Meimi, who was wiping my body with a warm cloth kept apologizing although she rarely spoke.

“Mister Rune Manionche is a man of a high rank who comes as a representative in every negotiation with the lion clan.”

So Rune Manionche, a lion shapeshifter, is someone who can’t be stopped by a mere servant or a knight.

Negotiating with such a figure, as expected, Ahin’s family were high status nobles who had gained considerable power in the black panther territory.

“It would be better to refrain from taking a walk on the day he comes.”

Lion shapeshifter, Rune Manionche, negotiation. Recalling what happened during the day, I carefully listened to every word that Meimi said.

When I returned to my bedroom after an unusually long bath, I became impatient as time went by.

Ahin will arrive soon and I don’t think he will let go of the incident which happened in that garden. Even before we parted our ways, he had been displeased with the scent of the lion.

‘I have to hide.’

If I can’t run away, why not hide? But in most of the places here, it was very likely for me to be spotted soon.

As I kept looking around, I became tearful. No matter how hard I try to concentrate, I can’t even figure out what a lion shapeshifter smells like.

The lion in the garden back then had smelled like a black panther, but Ahin had frowned and mumbled that I had a lion’s scent on me. As expected, the five senses of the wild beasts are good in comparison to the herbivores.

‘Not here either.’

Unfortunately, the area under the bed did not have a perforated structure.

Running around the room, I pricked up my ears.

Just in time, I heard the sound of the knights’ armours outside. It was obvious that they were saluting because Ahin had showed up.

Soon, I could hear the grim sound of the door opening and closing. Holding my breath, I listened to the footsteps.

Crouching nervously, I was upset because I didn’t even know why I need to hide.

‘What’s up with him?’

I didn’t intentionally cover myself with the smell of the lion. This Miss Bibi’s claim is that there’s nothing to worry about but sadly, my body remained as alert as possible with my hearing focused to the maximum.

“Agh.”

At that moment, Ahin groaned in pain. Reflexively raising my head, I was overwhelmed with untimely anxiety at the sound that irritated my ears.

‘Don’t tell me…!’

That you were attacked by a wolf shapeshifter again and got hurt as badly as before.

Not only that. There was even a loud thud, as if something just fell.

I couldn’t just watch from the sidelines any longer. As I rushed out from under the desk, there was a scene in front of my eyes that I didn’t want to believe.

‘I was fooled.’

My face, which had immediately grasped the situation, became contorted.

Contrary to my imagination, Ahin who was perfectly seated on the sofa and Evrin, who stood beside him were holding back their laughter.

The sound of something falling just seemed to be the sound of Ahin sitting on the sofa.

Ahin, who barely smiled, reached out slowly.

“Why did you hide? Come here.”

“I’m so touched that you jumped out to save Master Ahin. Bunny-nim, you have a very righteous nature.” (1)

I really hate these black panthers. My eyes turned fierce in a moment of anger. Ahin’s head tilted slightly as he silently looked at my harsh gaze.

“Evrin, isn’t that look very thrilling.”

“Right. Bunny-nim, please look at Master Ahin more.”

“I want to grab it and eat it.”

“I’ll tell the chef right away.”

Hey, Evrin! Finally, unable to contain my anger, I rushed towards Evrin and bit off the hem of his trousers.

Then, when he pretended to be afraid, even his figure looked abominable.

“Why do you still smell like a lion?”

My body, which had been struggling with the hem of Evrin’s trousers, was suddenly floating in the air.

“Did you not take a bath?”

Ahin’s forehead narrowed.

‘No, I did.’

Meimi had wiped me well with a cloth. As he shook his head, his face stiffened to the point of denial.

Why the hell does the smell of a lion even matter so much? As I was startled with fear, Evrin spoke, perhaps to dissolve the atmosphere.

“By the way, Master Ahin. It’s been a month since bunny-nim came to this house. Will it be okay if we gave it another name?”

Evrin was looking at me with a rather complicated look. It seemed that I often recalled the situation I had faced while I had been taking a walk a while ago.

When Meimi and I had been taking a walk in the garden, the knights,

[ Bunny-nim is passing by, tighten the security. ]

[ Bunny-nim is passing through…. ]

[ Bunny-nim…. ]

He had made quite a fuss. I don’t know how exactly the rumours came about but they are treating me, who lives with Ahin almost as if I’m also their master.

In fact, I was just getting used to it but I knew better than anyone that the situation was weird. Wouldn’t it be strange for me to not think that something’s strange?

“Name?”

Ahin asked in a dry voice, alternately glancing at Evrin and me. Before I knew it, he had suddenly placed me on the sofa and flipped me around over and over.

He really did not seem to like the mysterious smell of lions.

“A name…”

‘Let go, I’m dizzy!’

I struggled desperately, but I couldn’t stop my body from getting flipped repeatedly. Ahin, who had been tickling my neck with his index finger, then poked my cheek.

“It’s alright. It’ll have a separate name anyway.”

Those words seemed to hold some meaning behind them. When I stared at Ahin, he smiled lightly. His eyes had a crimson glow as usual.

“Right?”

I closed my mouth and nodded. I wanted to ask how he could affirm something like that, but I became frustrated because it was impossible to ask.

Evrin, who had been organizing some documents, had also stepped back and fell asleep.

But Ahin did not lie on the bed and instead, spread a large piece of paper on the carpet. As I watched his sudden actions, he picked me up with a suspicious smile.

‘I’m really annoyed.’

As he held me by my back, I lifted my eyes. Recalling that the lion shapeshifter during the day had also picked me up carelessly, I wondered if all wild beasts were this rude.

As I glared at him, he poked my cheeks.

“I told you, when you stare like that, it makes me want to gobble you up.”

“……”

“I’m not kidding.”

The fangs, revealed through Ahin’s lips glistened sharply. I turned as pale as a sheet, and decided to just stay calm. I can insist that it’s not because I’m scared, but because I’m sleepy.

Soon, he brought some black ink from his desk.

Why the ink. As soon as I had an ominous premonition, Ahin began to pour the ink on my front feet.

Angry as I was, I stumbled, but eventually, the ink soaked my feet.

‘What are you doing…..oh shit.’

The ink splashed on Ahin’s fine face because of my fierce resistance. I felt embarassed for a moment, but he didn’t react much and put me on the paper which was spread out on the floor.

“Now.”

I looked up at him with questioning eyes, for his intentions were hard to read. As Ahin felt my gaze, he tapped the paper with his finger.

“Write it, your name.”

I had no choice but to follow his abrupt demands.

The question that had dominated my mind for a long time made me raise my head.

How on earth can he say those words if he doesn’t even know what exactly am I?

It was unreasonable to think of me as an ordinary rabbit, and it would also be too ambiguous to consider me to be a shapeshifter.

I was curious but I couldn’t ask or hear the answer.

Ahin patted me on the back as if he had sensed my hesitation. Then he spoke in a low voice, while having a mysterious smile on his face.

“It’s said that if you give an animal a name, it’s kind of affectionate.”

“…..”

“Shouldn’t you know your name so that you can live longer?”

Oh, that was such a terrifying remark. As I bit my lips, I finally began to stamp my paw on the paper.

Bi,

Write, write, write, step by step, I drew black footprints on the white paper. The footprints were very small.

Bi.

After completely writing the name, Bibi, I sat down on the paper as if I had just done a very great job.

‘Hah.’

I’d never thought that writing a name would drain so much of my stamina and cause mental exhaustion. In fact, I was also a bit overwhelmed and nervous thanks to the fierce gaze behind me.

After I took a couple of breaths, Ahin looked at me and for some reason, he stopped sneering. Faced with that, there was an unprovoked sense of uneasiness.

Did I perhaps do something wrong? Or does the name, Bibi have some negative connotations in the black panther territory?

After a long time, Ahin, who was still looking down at the paper, reached out his hand. He wanted me to climb on the palm of his hand.

The ink on my feet will get on your hands. After some hesitation, I climbed up and made eye contact with Ahin.

A strange silence ensued. Unlike me, who avoided his gaze, Ahin was staring at me with calm eyes and then proceeded to speak.

“Bibi.”

It was a long time since I’ve heard someone calling me by that name. Since no-one has ever called me that ever since I left the Raebian mansion.

Moreover, when he called out my name with his low, deep voice, it felt really strange. However, Ahin, who didn’t even give me a moment to think properly, brought his lips close to my neck.

‘What, what are you!’

I struggled with my feet. It wasn’t surprising anymore that he was suddenly bringing his face close to me, but now, I could definitely feel a hard tooth on the back of my neck.

Even if it didn’t hurt, it was too threatening. As I resisted violently, Ahin had a frown on his face.

“Calm down, I’m just erasing the lion’s scent.”

As he came close to me again, he bit my neck lightly with his teeth. At the same time, a strange scent I have never smelled before touched the tip of my nose.

Perhaps it was the scent of the pheromones that belonged to a black panther. However, such a speculation could not be continued. I suddenly breathed in that scent, and my mind became hazy as if I drank alcohol.

‘…I can’t breathe.’

The intensity of the pheromones that I could feel in my body was crazy.

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Glossary

(1) ‘Master Ahin’ – While translating, I just realised that Master Ahin is more appropriate than Sir Ahin. So I will be changing to that from now on.