Chapter 3

Holding her breath, Nabom quietly observed the situation through the narrow gap between the door and its hinges.

Two people had entered the room.

“Then we’ll proceed with the matter as discussed…”

A sharp-featured man spoke in a flat, emotionless voice to the other man.

The second man wore a cloak trimmed with animal fur and had shoulders so broad they were almost unbelievable.

Yet he wasn’t listening.

He was lifting blankets off the bed, checking underneath it, opening wardrobes, and searching every corner of the room.

As though he were looking for something.

Gulp.

The moment Nabom swallowed nervously—

“What exactly are you doing, Lord Grizzly?”

The slender man called out to the broad-shouldered one.

Grizzly.

The instant she heard the name, Nabom understood.

Where she was.

And exactly who the man searching for her was.

“Your Grace. We are already making thorough preparations for hibernation. There’s no need for these pointless distractions.”

“Pointless distractions?”

The man asked slowly as he approached the door.

Without hesitation, he pulled it open and revealed what had been hiding behind it.

Then he smiled down at Nabom.

“I’m saying you shouldn’t hide emergency rations in your bedroom.”

A slow grin spread across his face.

Ah.

She should have just gotten caught by the wolves.

***

The man’s name was Theodore Grizzly.

A grizzly bear beastfolk from The Tamed One Was a Fox, he was what readers would call the classic “Northern Duke” character.

As the head of the Grizzly Count family, Theodore carried the nickname the Emperor’s Hound.

He obeyed every imperial command without question.

Some even mocked him, saying he wasn’t a hound at all but a puppet.

The Emperor’s Teddy Bear.

Since teddy bears didn’t exist as merchandise in this world, it was probably just the author’s sense of humor.

It was funny when I read it…

Now it was nothing but despair.

As a border lord, Theodore protected the northern frontier.

But that wasn’t all.

He had participated in countless civil wars and invasions throughout the Empire.

There was even a story in the novel about how he once stormed a noble estate alone in the middle of the night and slaughtered every guard knight and the lord himself.

The reason was never revealed.

But considering his loyalty to the Emperor, it was likely an assassination ordered by the throne.

Through countless bloodstained achievements, Theodore had earned his current title.

A monster who couldn’t be reasoned with.

A beast capable of tearing apart any beastfolk.

A bear infamous as a blood-crazed killer.

And now she had been picked up by him.

As emergency rations!

Pressing herself flat against the wall, Nabom had gone pale enough that she could barely breathe under Theodore’s gaze.

After staring at her for a moment, Theodore suddenly crouched down.

Then he slowly raised one hand.

Nabom nearly jumped out of her skin.

The strength instantly drained from her legs.

She collapsed onto the floor, curled herself into a ball, and trembled.

Yet nothing happened.

No blow landed on her head.

No crushing paw came down.

After waiting several seconds, Nabom cautiously peeked upward.

Theodore was simply holding out his open hand and silently looking at her.

…?

What was this supposed to mean?

As she stood frozen in confusion, an odd sound reached her ears.

“Chu-chu-chu-chu-chu.”

To her astonishment, the sound was coming from Theodore.

With a completely expressionless face, he was making exactly the same noises humans used when calling puppies and kittens.

After hesitating for a long time, Nabom finally lifted a paw.

Who knew when those weird kissing noises might suddenly turn into a roar?

Carefully, she climbed onto his palm.

His hand was so enormous that her entire body fit comfortably on it.

“If you’re this attached to your emergency rations…”

The slender man spoke from the side.

Attached? What attachment? He’s playing with me!

Theodore was poking her nose with a finger.

“If it were me, I’d feel sad when the time came to eat it.”

Even after hearing that horrifying statement, Theodore didn’t blink.

He simply continued moving his hand.

The slender man clicked his tongue and smiled bitterly.

As though he pitied her.

You insane psychopaths…!

Nabom squeezed her eyes shut.

I would’ve been better off getting caught by the wolves.

Contrary to what the Arctic hare clan believed, the Baekrang wolves no longer ate Arctic hares.

The reason was obvious.

They had eaten rabbits for generations, yet none of them had gained even a fraction of the supposed power of spring.

The Baekrang had finally given up.

Rather than chasing some intangible power, they sought something more reliable.

Money.

The Baekrang family, Blashin, had made a contract with the Imperial Family.

They delivered Arctic hares believed to possess the power of spring and received payment in return.

The Imperial Family didn’t eat the rabbits either.

Apparently they had also concluded that consuming rabbits wouldn’t grant Eostre’s power.

Instead, they had Imperial Court Mages inspect them in search of the true incarnation.

The Empire’s elite remained obsessed with the myth long after the wolves had abandoned it.

They’ve got the wrong species entirely.

The one who actually possessed the power of spring wasn’t an Arctic hare.

It was a squirrel beastfolk.

Einya, the heroine of The Tamed One Was a Fox.

Until Einya was eventually taken to the Imperial Palace, the Arctic hares weren’t killed.

They were merely kept under observation.

Maybe it would have been safer to stay inside the cage after all.

“If you keep petting it like that, you’ll wear its fur away.”

Despite the man’s complaint, Theodore continued touching Nabom’s face.

Feeling the rough calluses on his fingertips, she swallowed nervously.

Grizzly is loyal to the Emperor…

Had Theodore appeared in Baekrang territory because of an imperial order?

Perhaps the Imperial Family suspected the wolves might secretly eat the rabbits instead of delivering them.

Whether she would end up sent to the palace or swallowed as a bear’s emergency ration—

If I’m going to die either way…

Then I don’t want to be toyed with like this!

Nabom unconsciously glared at Theodore while he folded and unfolded her ears with his fingers.

Even in the dim room, his golden eyes gleamed brightly.

“Hic! Hic!”

Startled by a predator’s gaze, another hiccup escaped her.

“What is this, Rune?”

Theodore turned toward the slender man.

“It appears rabbits can get hiccups too.”

After hearing the answer, Theodore suddenly grabbed the scruff of Nabom’s neck.

Then he lifted her high into the air.

Terrified, Nabom flailed wildly.

But Theodore simply stared up at her.

Nothing she did seemed capable of changing the situation.

Eventually, she stopped resisting and hung limp.

“It stopped.”

Theodore murmured.

Then his hand slowly lowered.

Toward his mouth.

Wait… is he actually going to eat me?!

Nabom prepared herself to launch a desperate front-paw kick the moment she saw an opening.

But instead—

Theodore gently placed her onto the bed.

Oh my god. I survived.

As Nabom visibly relaxed, the slender man let out a sigh.

After bowing to Theodore, he left the room.

Silence settled over the bedroom.

Then a realization struck Nabom.

…Huh?

My hiccups stopped.

***

I need to escape.

Blink.

I have to get out of here somehow.

Blink.

Nabom fought desperately to keep her eyelids open.

She shook her head violently.

Yet her upright ears slowly drooped again.

How was she supposed to escape in this condition?

She was lying atop an enormous bed.

Beside her, Theodore lay with his eyes closed.

Every scar on his sun-darkened face sent chills down her spine.

At first glance he looked asleep.

But he wasn’t.

One huge hand continuously stroked her lower back.

Every pass of his callused palm across her fur sent shivers through her body.

The gentle touch of a blood-crazed killer.

She had never experienced such vivid terror before.

And yet—

Why am I so sleepy?

Her eyelids kept sinking shut.

After struggling against sleep for what felt like forever, she suddenly opened her eyes.

The room was unusually bright.

Morning had come.

Blinking her dark eyes blankly, she realized the predator beside her was gone.

At that exact moment—

“Good morning!”

A cheerful voice rang out beside her.

Startled, Nabom looked up.

A young woman in a maid’s uniform was peering down at her from point-blank range.

“My name is Anna, and I’ll be Emergency Rations’ maid. Please take care of me.”

Before Nabom could even process the appearance of a new face, she was carried into a bathroom.

Anna began washing her with incredibly gentle hands.

After watching the bewildered rabbit for a moment, she suddenly smiled.

It was such a warm smile that it nearly melted Nabom’s heart despite her terrifying circumstances.

Maybe this lady isn’t a predator?

The hopeful thought lasted only a moment.

“Oh my. This Emergency Rations has injured her hind leg.”

Those ominous words again.

Emergency rations.

Nabom’s heart dropped.

Unwrapping the bandages from her leg, Anna examined the wound before speaking brightly.

“It looks much better already. I’ll just change the bandages.”

…?

While Anna worked, Nabom inspected the injury.

It was true.

The wound had healed considerably.

It no longer throbbed.

Had it been less severe than she’d thought?

“What’s wrong? Does it still hurt?”

…

Hearing the concern in Anna’s voice, Nabom hesitated.

Why does she keep talking to me?

Does she know…

that I’m not an ordinary rabbit?