Chapter 10
Something long and wet brushed against her face again.
The sticky sensation made Nabom shake her head violently, but the damp object swept past her eyes once more.
Hearing panting nearby, she finally opened her eyes.
A puppy was standing in front of her.
It had brown fur draped over its body like a cloak, with a white belly and white markings above its eyes.
“Alexei, you little rascal!”
Nuke scolded him from the side, but the puppy merely grinned happily.
I’ve seen this dog before in animal videos on YouTube.
An Alaskan Malamute?
The moment Nabom guessed the breed, the puppy jumped in place and began kicking snow everywhere with its hind legs.
Aaah!
In an instant, Nabom was buried beneath a shower of snow.
Pffft!
She quickly poked her head back out and shook the snow off.
As a sign of protest, she shoved at the puppy’s hind leg.
But the Malamute simply opened its mouth wide again and stuck out its tongue.
He’s going to lick me again!
Just as she covered her face with her paws—
—Don’t cry.
A young boy’s voice echoed in her mind.
Nabom lifted her head.
The voice had spoken directly inside her head, cutting through the sound of panting.
…Is this puppy a beastkin too?
If he was a Malamute, then maybe he was one of the Sled Dog Knights?
Before she could think any further, the puppy’s tongue attacked her face again.
As she squeezed her eyes shut and endured the wet licking, the voice spoke once more.
—Don’t cry. Come play with me.
When was I ever crying?!
Nabom shouted inwardly and hopped backward.
She wasn’t weak enough to cry over a setback like this.
There had to be a way.
Somehow, she would survive!
Filled with determination toward her goal and annoyance toward the puppy, Nabom stomped her hind feet heavily.
Thump. Thump.
The Malamute spun in a circle and grinned.
—The tears stopped. Then let’s play!
His excited voice echoed through her head.
Then he began racing around the garden, kicking snow in every direction.
A whirlwind of snow blasted into Nabom’s face.
That was the last straw.
Thump!
She slammed her hind feet down once more and charged straight at him.
Whether it was because the snow had excited her or because the puppy’s provocation had awakened her rabbit instincts, Nabom soon found herself happily running all over the garden alongside the Malamute.
She didn’t even realize she was running skillfully on all fours.
Seeing the Malamute doing the same, she simply followed naturally.
The cold, crisp sensation beneath her paws felt wonderful.
Sometimes she would suddenly stop and leap straight into the air.
“Wow! Snowflake runs really fast!”
Louis watched the rabbit and puppy for a while before finally being unable to resist.
He dashed toward them.
Soon Ferdi joined in as well.
Watching the four of them play, Heinz cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted,
“Didn’t you say you wanted to tour the castle?!”
Nearby, Nuke, who had been smiling proudly while watching them, blew a whistle.
Immediately, the Malamute came running back and stood in front of the sled.
As Nabom hurried over after Louis and Ferdi, Anna smiled.
“I think we can finally remove her bandages.”
*
Late afternoon.
The sunset painted the sky red as Theodore arrived at Nabom’s room.
Anna bowed her head.
“The rabbit?”
At his brief question, Anna led him inside.
“I apologize for failing to follow your orders.”
Hearing her apology from behind, Theodore stopped.
On the red carpet lay Louis, Ferdi, and Alexei Malamute, a squire of the Sled Dog Knights.
The three of them were curled around something.
A tiny rabbit.
Covered in bits of dirt from playing outside, she was sleeping in a little ball.
Her white belly rose and fell steadily.
“It’s fine.”
Theodore spoke quietly.
He had established a rule:
No more than two people were allowed in the rabbit’s room at a time.
But if the rabbit was comfortable, it didn’t matter.
Looking at the four sleeping beastkin, Theodore fell into thought.
“What? So you’d already made up your mind?”
Pallas’s mocking voice echoed in his memory.
The sage was cynical.
But he always spoke the truth.
That was why Theodore usually accepted his words without argument.
This time, however, was different.
“Then I suppose I don’t need to play the villain.”
“No.”
“What?”
“I have no intention of making her use that power.”
Pallas narrowed his eyes.
“So it really is nothing more than pitiful sympathy.”
“…”
“Your daughter is already dead. If you brought that rabbit here as a replacement for her, then the truly pitiful one isn’t you—it’s that tiny life.”
“Even if it is pitiful sympathy, that’s fine.”
Despite Pallas’s harsh words, Theodore answered firmly.
“A powerful, unknown force.”
“…”
“If it’s used recklessly, nobody knows what might happen.”
“…”
“We are not so weak that we need to be saved through the sacrifice of a small life.”
Those words came from the bottom of his heart.
Perhaps not only he and his wife, but even his daughter would reject such a salvation.
His wife had thrown herself forward to protect their child.
Yet she had failed to save their daughter and had instead been afflicted by an incurable curse.
Theodore had believed that was the end.
The final conclusion.
Slowly, he walked over to the sleeping rabbit.
Kneeling beside her, he reached out a hand toward her head.
“……”
His fingertips trembled as they touched her soft fur.
Why?
She felt like a gift.
This tiny life felt like a gift his daughter had left behind before departing from the world.
“You people truly never cease to amaze me.”
After a rare burst of laughter, the sage smirked.
“Then at least tell her she wasn’t brought here as emergency rations.”
With those final words, Pallas vanished.
Gently brushing the rabbit’s forehead with his thumb, Theodore murmured,
“Next time.”
He couldn’t bring himself to wake a child sleeping so peacefully.
*
Nabom opened her eyes.
Perhaps because she had dreamed of running through snowy fields, all four of her feet were twitching in the air.
Licking at the drool around her mouth, she sat up abruptly.
What was I doing?
And more importantly—
What was I supposed to be doing?
Her mind felt sluggish.
On the other hand, her body felt refreshed.
It was the lightest she had felt since arriving at Grizzly Castle.
After sitting on the carpet and looking around, she finally noticed something strange.
Weren’t there more people here earlier?
At the same moment, she felt someone’s gaze.
She flinched.
Something was there.
Perfectly still.
Pressed against the dark brown wall as if camouflaged.
The moment its yellow eyes met hers, its fluffy fur puffed out into a round shape.
It looked like a furry cylinder with the face of a tiger cub or a kitten attached to the front.
The unfamiliar animal began walking toward her expressionlessly.
For some reason, Nabom felt as though she were dreaming.
And then—
—I never imagined I’d get to meet you while I was still alive.
A voice sounded inside her head.
—Especially from this close.
It belonged to an adult man.
A voice filled with curiosity and quiet satisfaction.
—How fascinating. Power and soul are tangled together. Is that why you’re being suppressed so heavily?
The mysterious animal had somehow reached her side.
Nabom blinked.
It wasn’t very large.
Nor did it smell like a predator.
So why did it possess such overwhelming dignity?
Its black pupils, set within yellow irises, seemed capable of seeing straight through her.
—Are you content remaining like this?
Like this?
Nabom tilted her head.
—Yes. Like this. Living your entire life trapped inside the form of a rabbit. Would that truly be enough for you?
She tilted her head again.
It wasn’t really her choice.
She had died.
Then she had been reborn.
She couldn’t transform into a human.
In fact, she wasn’t even certain whether she was truly a beastkin.
—Your words have never reached the other beastkin, have they?
How could he know that?
Was this really a dream?
Thinking so, Nabom slowly nodded.
—Tell me. Wouldn’t you like to talk with everyone as a human?
As a human?
Was that even possible?
And what did he mean by everyone?
Predators and emergency rations having conversations together?
As she pondered this strange idea, another thought suddenly surfaced.
If they could hear her.
If she could show them a human form.
What expressions would they make?
Would Louis smile brightly?
Would Ferdi proudly pat her head?
Would Anna beam with happiness?
And Theodore…
How would Theodore react?
—Let’s go back now.
Would he speak to her again with that same gentle voice as before?
…Yes.
The answer slipped out before she realized it.
I want to talk to them.
As Nabom nodded, the animal nodded too.
—Good.
Maybe it was her imagination.
But it looked as though the creature had smiled.
Suddenly her vision brightened.
Nabom woke up.
Blinking, she looked around blankly.
The room was empty.
So it really had been a dream?
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a knock sounded.
The door opened.
“Snowflake! Time to eat hay!”
Louis entered first.
Followed by Ferdi, Anna—
and the Malamute.
Nabom immediately jumped to her feet.
Food! 🐰🍽️
