Chapter 16

Inside this ballroom, I felt like I was receiving the most attention.

Although Ahin’s status was very obvious, I could feel that most of the eyes were pointing towards me who was in his pocket.

In fact, the situation had become even more twisted because the gatekeeper had announced both Ahin’s and my name.

Why the hell. All you had to do was just announce Ahin’s name. I’m sure Ahin made you do it.

Compared to me, who was sighing deeply, he walked slowly and said.

“Bibi, isn’t this your first time seeing the tiger clan?”

He was saying all of this and walking around, as if giving me a wild beast tour.

‘This burning pain…’

I swallowed a bitter sound and buried myself in the pocket, only sticking my ears and eyes out of it. The ballroom was only filled with beasts here and beasts there.

The bigger problem was that from the time I had entered this place, I had been feeling nauseous. Again, it doesn’t mean that I’m too sick.

No-one else is reacting to the pheromones in this way, so am I the only weird one here?

“Baby.”

Whilst I was immersed in such thoughts, I heard a languid yet very welcoming voice.

‘Miss Valence.’

Dressed in a blue dress, she forcibly walked through a big crowd. At that moment, I looked around her carefully, but I couldn’t see any shapeshifter that could be Ahin’s father.

Faced with Miss Valence who had styled her silver hair, I suddenly looked alternately between her and Ahin. It was my first time seeing them together, but the atmosphere seemed to be quite different.

“I heard that you almost got into trouble. I’m finally seeing you after I got back this morning.”

‘Thank you for your consideration.’

I lifted my paw out of the pocket as a response to her words. Then, she slowly approached and touched my paw.

“Mother, you’re too close.”

As the distance between us reduced, a low voice sounded from above.

“I’m not that keen on touching you either, Ahin. Anyway, how did you let that wolf commit suicide? You’re not doing your work well.”

“The place where the wolf was allowed to invade also seemed to be mother’s mansion.”

Although they both were smiling, the conversation between the two was far from being friendly. I could feel an invisible electric current between them.

‘Wouldn’t it be nice….to get along?’

I have now completely given up on the act of understanding their minds.

From the beginning, Miss Valence seems to be very indifferent to Ahin’s action of bringing me to the ballroom. Maybe because of Ahin’s personality, she’s used to this kind of thing.

The latter seemed to be very likely.

“Baby.”

Miss valence smiled and said while ignoring Ahin and holding a fan in her hand. Somehow, that smile seemed to overlap with Ahin’s usual smile.

“The head of the wolf that had chased you was hung in front of the main gate. It’s meant to be a warning.”

‘Pardon?’

Unlike her soft expression, her words were brutal. The atmosphere felt cold as she raised her voice.

Soon, I heard her murmuring something like “What was hung on the iron bars….was the head of that wolf.”, which means that it was true.

‘On the main gate…, On the main gate, was the head of the wolf?’

You’re saying that all these noblemen saw it at the entrance of the mansion? When I imagined the shape of the severed head hanging there, my face turned pale.

Moreover, thanks to the fact that the one that the wolf had chased had been me, the eyes of all the beast shapeshifters had been focused on me.

In some ways, it seemed like a warning that the consequences would not be good if anyone touched this rabbit.

The atmosphere grew strangely thick. Standing at the center of everyone’s gaze, I struggled endlessly between gratitude and fear.

The night of the banquet was ripe. A lot of attention was still focused on me, but the nobles dared not approach Ahin.

Is it because we weren’t moving to the music like the others? Or maybe it’s because they had piled up a lot of hay on a plate meant for the banquet.

By looking at these two things, it could be understood that the nobles were deliberately keeping their distance away. Even if it were me, I also would have stayed as far away as possible, feeling that no good would come out of getting involved.

‘This is really exhausting.’

Even at a ball like this, the eyes of the nobles are on me. Maybe it’s not because of the dancing reason but because of Ahin.

With my chin on the hem of his pocket, I breathed heavily. Ahin’s behaviour is also a problem, but strange anxiety rose inside my body.

I don’t feel as suffocated as before. But still, I think it would be better for me to go back to the bedroom because I’m not feeling well.

[ When the left forefoot is on the right side, it’s an emergency. ]

[ Raise your right forefoot whenever you need me, and Ahin will help you. ]

Between my complex thoughts, I remembered the fact that I had decided on a signal with Ahin. After all, it would be better to get out of this place.

The moment I wriggled my front paws to signal him, I heard a deep voice.

“Most of the tiger clan has blue eyes. The hyena have black eyes. Understand the power heirarchy.”

When I looked up, Ahin had his usual smile on his face. There were two men chatting with each other in front of us.

Blue eyes and black eyes. They must be tiger and hyena shapeshifters.

“The tiger territory is where weapons are prevalent. On the other hand, the hyena territory, which is close by, has a long history of acquiring minerals and smelting metals, so it is natural for a close relationship to develop between the two territories.”

It was the first time that I was hearing this, so I looked at them. The farther away the rabbit territory, the poorer the information was bound to be.

“Especially, hyenas are easy to distinguish externally. They usually tend to have dark skin. In fact, hyenas are most easily identified due to their dark skin and eyes.”

He also spoke about some other characteristics of the clan that was situated on the outskirts. As I turned my head to the explanation, I wondered why these facts were being pointed out.

‘Why?’

The doubt that I had suppressed caused me to raise my head. As time passed, Ahin was treating me more than just an ordinary little rabbit.

‘Why me?’

I’m sure there’s no point in teaching me this information. As I looked up at him while holding my breath, his red eyes, that had been wandering around the ballroom slowly shifted on me.

It’s harder to read your expression when you smile like that.

As I faced him, a shiver suddenly ran down my neck.

“Bibi.”

As the voice was heard, my body trembled. At the same time, breathtaking tension took over my body. Ahin, who had erased his expressionless face, tapped my nose.

“What should I do if my pocket tears because of how heavy you are?”

‘…This filthy black panther.’

I will surely bite him off. Determined, I was almost about to open my mouth.

“Lord Grace, it’s been a long time.”

In the front, there was a beautiful shapeshifter, who had long hair of the same colour as her pink eyes.

She was a very brave lady who had dared to approach Ahin despite the strange atmosphere where everyone was avoiding him.  The pupils of the nobles standing far away shook as they saw this.

“You’re still so attractive even when you bring your pet as your partner.”

As soon as her red lips opened, her fangs glistened. Instinctively crouching down, I started at her with only my eyes out of the pocket.

I don’t think that’s attractive, rather, it’s a messed up behaviour, but I guess the perspective changes depending on the person.

“It would be nice if you could visit our fox territory at least once. I’m sick of you refusing it every time.”

“I wonder if I’ll simply end up being prey for the foxes.”

“It would be better if you could just be mine.”

She said in a subtle tone, while glancing at Ahin with a seductive gaze.

“I refuse.”

From the perspective of a herbivore, these exchanged words were hard for me to understand. Moreover, as the conversation continued, I could sense dark pheromones from her.

A dense kind which hinted towards something sexual. I inadvertently withdrew back.

I swallowed my breath and quickly covered my face with my paws.

“I’ll make a promise next time.”

The conversation didn’t last that long. As she walked away, Ahin began to explain slowly.

“Just now, that person was from the fox clan. Since polygamy is common in their territory, she already has five husbands.”

‘Fi-five husbands?’

It’s amazing that she has five husbands, damn. I stared at her back for a long time in astonishment.

As I watched her completely disappear into the crowd, I felt suffocated again.

Even this time, it was painful even when I bent over. Struggling, I raised my right forefoot in desperation.

“What’s wrong?”

As he looked at my signal, Ahin asked while pulling me out of his pocket. Struggling on his palm, I pointed to the floor in a hurry.

Put me down, please.

“…Bibi?”

Ahin, who quickly noticed my signal more quickly than I thought, bent down and lowered me on the floor. Finally, all four feet of mine were touching the ground.

As soon as the hard ground touched my feet, I began running like crazy.

“Bibi!”

I heard Ahin yelling at the back.

“Oh my god!”

“What’s going on?”

The startled nobles reacted to the chaos, but there was no time to look back. In an instant, I ran across the hall to the open door that I could see right in front of me.

Fortunately, the lamps were lit in the corridor so it was possible to get a clear view. I increased my speed and ran across the hallway without stopping.

‘No way…’

No way, no way. The fact that this might be impossible completely dominated my mind.

Jumping, I entered through any door that was barely open and fell to the floor. Just like that time, the pheromones were burning my entire body.

Until the beginning of the banquet, this hadn’t been the case, but after that fox shapeshifter spilled her evil pheromones, I couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

Unable to endure the extreme pain, I rolled around and struggled. The intensity of the pain was even more severe than last time.

‘Aaghh…’

I almost started crying. As I was crouching and breathing, I blinked several times as my vision became blurry.

As the vision slowly became clear, white hair were draped on the floor.

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