Chapter 6

Why didn’t I think of that? Bears hibernate!

Nabom clasped her tiny front paws together and closed her eyes.

Thank you, God.

If they were planning to eat that mountain of salmon before hibernation, it meant the bears would be asleep for a long time.

She didn’t know exactly how long bears hibernated, but surely it would be more than enough time for her to escape.

They’ll only eat the salmon… right?

There’s no way they’d eat something as tiny as me when they already have all that salmon piled up.

Right. That’s definitely how it is.

How long had she been repeating that like a prayer?

Before she knew it, Nabom had arrived in the Great Hall of Grizzly Castle.

More specifically, she was on top of the long dining table in the hall.

A dining table covered with plates filled with food for bears.

Thank you? My foot.

Can a god this cruel really be allowed to exist?!

Squeak! Squeak-squeak! Kyaaa!

Overcome by sorrow and despair, Nabom lifted her head and cried.

That’s right.

Rabbits cry too.

When they’re angry or feel threatened, they can make sounds like this!

But the predators gathered around the table only looked at her with fascination.

“Kyaaa!”

“Louis, don’t make noise at the dinner table. And don’t imitate her. It’s rude to Snowflake.”

“But she’s cute.”

Sitting on either side of Anna, Ferdi and Louis casually chatted with Nabom sitting between them on the table.

The people gathered around the Great Hall’s long dining table weren’t only members of the Grizzly family.

The Grizzly family and their servants all shared meals together.

Everyone seemed delighted, as though they had been looking forward to this moment.

When Theodore, the family head, gave a nod, everyone bowed their heads in gratitude.

Then they drove their forks into the steaming salmon dishes.

Stab! Slice, slice.

The sounds of cutlery scraping echoed from every direction.

Nabom flinched and fidgeted nervously.

Everyone was focused on the salmon right now, but she had no way of knowing when they might suddenly develop an appetite for her.

Especially that brown bear.

Theodore.

They even attached the honorific -nim to the words “emergency rations” when referring to her.

There was no doubt that she was officially the family head’s emergency food supply.

Driven by instinctive fear, Nabom found herself unconsciously backing away.

“Emergency Rations-nim.”

At that moment, a chilling voice sounded beside her ear.

Nabom whipped her head around.

The Grim Reaper—

No, it was Anna.

“Here. This should be better for you than salmon.”

Anna held out a handful of greens.

Since Nabom had been staring so intensely at the salmon dishes, apparently Anna had mistaken her gaze for desire.

Nabom didn’t really want any more food, but she reflexively bit the leaf.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

As she chewed absentmindedly, some of her anxiety seemed to ease.

They said I’m still too small to be emergency rations.

They won’t eat me until I get bigger.

More importantly, every time she accepted a leaf, Anna gently scratched under her chin.

It felt surprisingly nice.

After several more leaves, Nabom suddenly frowned.

Huh?

Something about her body felt different.

Usually she could easily see her hind feet while sitting.

Now her belly had become so round and swollen that she could barely see the tips of them.

Wait…

Have I already become a full serving of emergency rations?

Nabom was horrified.

Just then—

“Anna.”

A deep voice came from across the table.

A large man with a thick black beard was glaring fiercely at Anna.

“You’re standing too close. Refrain from such presumptuous behavior.”

“My apologies, Commander.”

Anna immediately stood and bowed with military precision.

“I believe it’s because I’m her personal maid. She seems to trust me.”

But the commander’s expression darkened even further.

“You know as well as I do. This is the first time Emergency Rations-nim has ever been invited to the family head’s table.”

“Yes, I know.”

“If you know that, then bring that tiny, adorable—”

He coughed.

“—Emergency Rations-nim closer to the family head immediately.”

The moment the order was given, Anna reached out.

Startled by both her swollen belly and the commander’s intimidating stare, Nabom froze and couldn’t avoid being picked up.

Just like that, she was delivered directly in front of Theodore.

Now she sat trapped in the middle of the long table.

“I see. So that’s why the young masters call her Snowflake.”

“So white… and round… nghhh!”

“That white fluff. It must be incredibly soft.”

The retainers seated beside Theodore leaned in toward Nabom.

One clutched his chest while frowning deeply.

Another stared at her with trembling hands and a disturbingly fanatical gaze.

The attention of giant, muscular men twenty times her size was terrifying enough.

But there was something Nabom found even more unbearable.

“…”

Theodore was staring at her.

Silently.

Without saying a word.

As though deep in thought, he examined her from head to toe.

Every hair on her body stood on end.

Nabom became certain.

He’s deciding whether to eat me or not…!

Once she reached that conclusion, her decision came quickly.

The moment she clenched her trembling front paws—

“Emergency—no, Snowflake-nim!”

The commander who had been glaring at Anna offered her another handful of greens.

But Nabom neither noticed the fresh leaves nor the strangely high-pitched voice.

Hyaaaah!

With a battle cry in her heart, she threw her full weight into her front paws and smacked the commander’s arm away.

Unfortunately, she put too much force into it.

She tumbled straight off the table.

Thud!

Trying to land on her hind legs, she instead landed squarely on her rear.

The pain made her cry out.

“Kyaaa!”

At that moment, Theodore shot to his feet.

“Catch the rabbit.”

The instant the order left his mouth, all the retainers rose as one.

A short, decisive command from the family head.

Countless predators turning their eyes toward her.

Forgetting even the pain in her hind leg, Nabom leaped.

Then she ran.

Like mad.

She crashed into table legs.

She slammed into serving trays and knocked plates to the floor, shattering them.

She ran desperately, searching for an exit.

Naturally, she never heard Theodore’s next words.

“The rabbit injured her hind leg. If she keeps moving, the wound may reopen. Catch her quickly.”

“Yes, sir!”

The retainers all widened their eyes and saluted.

It had been so long since they’d heard their lord speak such a long sentence that they couldn’t even remember the last time.

They rushed after the rabbit with tremendous determination.

Unfortunately, their efforts only made things worse.

Slipping between reaching hands and darting beneath people’s arms, Nabom escaped.

She sprang onto a nearby man’s shoulder.

When he tried to catch her, she launched herself into the air.

Nabom landed on a window frame.

Bang!

The half-open window flew wider under the impact.

Without hesitation, she hurled herself through the opening.

“Snowflake-nim!”

Desperate voices called after her from inside the hall.

Nabom didn’t look back.

She stretched her body and sailed through the air toward the garden outside.

Then—

Tap!

Her injured hind leg caught on the window frame.

Her body suddenly dropped.

Nabom fell straight downward.

Flump.

She hit the ground.

Yet the impact wasn’t as painful as she’d expected.

Carefully opening her eyes, she found her vision filled entirely with green.

The ground beneath her felt soft, as though thick soil had been piled there.

Quickly…

I have to get up.

I have to run farther away.

But despite those instincts, her eyelids kept growing heavier.

The fragrant scent of grass reached the nose of the rabbit who had been tense from predator smells all day.

To her, it felt like a warm, comfortable bed.

Plop.

All strength left her body, and she slumped onto her side.

***

“Snowflake-nim!”

A voice kept calling from somewhere far away.

“Ration-nim!”

A voice desperately searching for someone.

Filled with worry.

Who is that?

Who are they looking for so desperately?

“Where are you, Snow Rabbit?!”

At the loud voice of a young boy, Nabom suddenly regained awareness.

It was the voice of the Grizzly family’s second son.

So they’re looking for me.

But Nabom couldn’t understand why they sounded so urgent.

Is there some reason I can’t disappear?

Maybe losing the family head’s emergency rations carried punishment.

That wouldn’t be good.

“We could’ve gone to the amusement park today! Why did it have to happen today?”

“So you’re a useless idiot who can’t even transform into a human. It would’ve been better if you’d never been born.”

I don’t want anyone to suffer because of me.

“It’s all your fault, sister!”

“Why do I have to be treated like this? It’s all because of you.”

I don’t want to be anyone’s burden anymore.

Nabom clenched her tiny teeth.

She tried to force her body upright and escape the sea of green surrounding her.

Then—

“…?”

Suddenly her vision brightened.

At the same time, a powerful predator scent rushed over her.

Slowly, Nabom opened her eyes.

In her blurry vision, parting the grass and peering down at her was a gigantic brown bear.

It was Theodore.