TBF 08

Chapter 8

There were two unexpected visitors.

Ferdi and Louis stopped in front of the bed with bright smiles and spoke in perfect unison.

“A present!”

Rustle.

Something bright yellow rained down onto the bed.

The two boys had scattered yellow dandelions—fresh ones with their stems still attached, crisp and tender.

If you slowly chewed the straight stem first, the sweet fragrance of the flower at the end would gradually spread.

And the moment the petals reached your mouth, their soft, fluffy texture melted together with a gentle sweetness.

Sniff.

As Nabom’s mouth filled with saliva again…

…something softly settled on top of her head.

Her head felt ticklish, so she shook it.

Above her, Ferdi quietly muttered,

“It’ll fall.”

“…?”

When Nabom carefully looked up, she saw Ferdi’s gentle face and slender fingers.

Something slowly dropped down, covering part of her vision.

A bright yellow dandelion flower.

“Ah, good. It caught on your ear.”

Ferdi smiled softly.

“This is my gift.”

“What do you think? It’s a dandelion crown made just for Snowball! My brother is really good at making these.”

Beside him, Louis proudly puffed out his chest.

Ferdi watched Nabom’s expression with a gentle smile.

“…”

Nabom raised a paw and touched the dandelion hanging from her ear.

For some reason, she felt like crying.

Still wearing the dandelion crown, she began eating the dandelions scattered across the bed.

After escaping from the White Wolves, what had her plan been?

She had heard that among the beastfolk living in the capital, some herbivores were kept as beloved pets.

Somehow, she wanted to make it to the capital and become the pet of a kind beastfolk.

She probably would never be able to transform into a human. Since she hadn’t managed it until now, she likely never would.

If she could just live a long life, she would be perfectly happy staying a rabbit.

And if it were you two, you’d definitely be worthy of being my owners!

“Eat all of this, Snowball.”

“Yeah. It’s a little wasteful, but you can even eat the flower crown.”

No, I’ll happily serve you both for the rest of my life, Masters!

Just then, Ferdi carefully looked at Nabom’s little round belly and gently said,

“You still need to grow a little bigger.”

“……”

Nabom immediately spat out the dandelion and shook her head hard, throwing off the flower crown.

“Huh? Snowball, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“Didn’t you like the crown?”

I take that back.

I almost forgot whose sons these little devils are!

As Nabom turned her back on the two boys to express her disappointment with her entire body—

The door suddenly burst open, and an elderly man with white hair appeared.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

“Heinz!”

“We’ve been caught.”

The moment they recognized the old man, Heinz, the brothers whispered to each other with troubled expressions.

“Sir Heinz, you’re not allowed in here.”

“Hm?”

“Only two people are allowed to visit Snowball at once.”

“Snowball? Forget Snowball. It’s study time!”

Heinz scolded them loudly and strode into the room, stopping in front of the boys.

“You’ve played enough. Let’s go. Every time it’s lesson time, I have to search the whole mansion for you two. How long do you intend to make this old man chase after you? I’m your tutor, not your babysitter!”

Before the boys could even step back from the shower of spit flying out as he yelled, Heinz grabbed both of them by the backs of their collars.

“Anyway, today we have to cover hibernation, so we don’t have time to waste.”

At that moment, Nabom’s ears shot straight up.

Hibernation?

He’s their tutor, right?

If they’re studying hibernation… does that mean he’ll explain how brown bears hibernate?

As Ferdi was being dragged away, Nabom quickly grabbed his wrist with both front paws.

“…Snowball?”

Holding onto the boy’s slender wrist with both tiny paws, Nabom shook her head over and over.

Then she looked up at him with the most pleading eyes she could manage.

Please… take me with you!

“Ugh…”

Ferdi suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed dramatically onto the floor.

“Young Master Ferdi?”

“Heinz… I can’t go. I can’t leave Snowball behind.”

“What nonsense are you suddenly talking about?”

Heinz’s grumpy gaze shifted to Nabom.

“So that’s His Lordship’s emergency ration.”

“You’re not allowed to call her that either!”

Anna quickly rushed over and gently folded Nabom’s ears down.

Heinz looked at Anna and Nabom, clicked his tongue, and said bluntly,

“Snowball, huh? Looks more like some scrawny puppy.”

“What did you say?”

“Huh?”

“Heinz just insulted Snowball!”

The air around them instantly turned icy.

Heinz, however, didn’t care at all.

Neither did Nabom.

She picked up a dandelion from the bed with her mouth, then stood it upright using both her front and back paws.

She had already been exposed as anything but an ordinary rabbit, so she no longer hesitated to express herself.

“Hm?”

Heinz frowned.

The little white rabbit was busily moving her paws, trying to communicate something.

Using the dandelion like a pen, she pretended to write on the bedsheet, then repeatedly patted her own little chest.

“You want to study too? You?”

At Heinz’s question, the rabbit’s eyes grew wide, and she nodded so hard it looked like her head might fall off.

How did he understand that?

Ferdi stared at Heinz in amazement.

“You’ve never even transformed into a human. How old are you, anyway? Do you really think you’ll understand what I teach?”

“What are you talking about, Heinz? Snowball already understands everything you’re saying!”

“Snowball wants to study with us? That’s nice, but studying isn’t all that fun. Wouldn’t it be better if you just rested here?”

“That’s right, Lady Snowball. You’ve never been to the young masters’ classroom before. Unfamiliar places aren’t good for you.”

Despite Louis and Anna trying to stop her, Nabom firmly shook her head.

She had to learn about hibernation.

And it was also important to see somewhere besides this room.

I need to figure out the layout of this castle somehow.

If I’m going to escape, I can’t waste this chance!

Leaning against the bed railing, Nabom stretched her face toward Heinz.

After a long moment of staring at him with pleading eyes…

Heinz placed a hand over his chest and looked away.

“Stop looking at me like that. An old man’s heart isn’t that strong.”

“…?”

After muttering something completely incomprehensible, he abruptly turned his back.

“What are you all waiting for? Let’s go. Young Master Ferdi. Young Master Louis. And…”

He glanced back over his shoulder.

“You too, Rabbit.”

The faces of the two boys and the little rabbit instantly lit up.

***

“Do you understand why bears hibernate?”

Nabom and Ferdi nodded.

Louis, who had been blankly watching the two of them, hurriedly nodded a moment later.

“Next is the length of hibernation. Bears can hibernate for up to six months. However, beastfolk do not sleep for that long. The Grizzly family’s brown bear beastfolk usually hibernate for one month, or at most two.”

Nabom’s black eyes sparkled.

At least one month! That’s more than enough time to escape!

“Of course, they don’t remain in a deep sleep the entire time.”

The words instantly crushed her hopes.

Nabom quickly turned toward Heinz.

“A bear’s hibernation isn’t true sleep. It’s closer to dormancy—a long period of rest. Even while hibernating, if they’re stimulated by something outside, they can wake up and move around. That’s why it’s best not to disturb a hibernating bear. If you do…”

Heinz paused dramatically.

Then—

Bang!

He slammed his hand onto the desk.

“RAAAAH!”

He suddenly shouted while thrusting his face toward Louis and Nabom.

Nabom jumped straight into the air in fright.

Louis burst into laughter.

“Heinz. Don’t scare Snowball.”

“Ahem.”

Heinz cleared his throat and immediately returned to his usual stern expression.

Meanwhile, Nabom quietly swallowed.

I see…

I thought they’d be sleeping so deeply that nothing could wake them.

If I escape, I’ll have to be careful not to make any noise that might wake them.

“We’ll talk about the other animals that hibernate besides brown bears next lesson.”

“Yay! Finally, class is over!”

The moment Heinz finished speaking, Louis leaped to his feet.

Unlike him, Nabom quietly folded her front paws together and bowed deeply toward Heinz.

I learned something important. I should thank him.

Heinz awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“You don’t need to thank me. This is my job.”

He answered gruffly before glancing at Louis, who was bouncing up and down on the windowsill.

“Your attitude in class is much better than the younger one’s.”

He clicked his tongue lightly.

Then he looked back at Nabom.

“So? Anything else you’re curious about?”

Ferdi stared at Heinz with wide eyes.

Heinz was nocturnal and always complained about being sleepy during the day. The moment class ended, he usually left without delay.

It was almost unheard of for him to invite questions.

After thinking carefully, Nabom stretched out a paw toward the window.

Then she made a triangle over her head with both paws before drawing a circle.

I have no idea what that means.

Ferdi frowned in confusion.

But Heinz quietly nodded.

“So, you want to look around Grizzly Castle. Is that right?”

“I’ll go ask His Lordship for permission.”

After silently watching the entire exchange, Anna left the room.

Ferdi’s jaw dropped.

“As a tutor who specializes in young beastfolk, I should at least be able to understand this much.”

“…I see.”

As Ferdi looked at Heinz, he felt both admiration…

…and an inexplicable competitive spirit.

I have to work harder so I can understand Snowball too.

***

“Assign one guard to accompany them, and send Sir Heinz Hegwig along as well.”

After receiving the family head’s permission, Anna bowed and left Theodore’s office.

Theodore quietly turned his gaze toward the window.

Then, in the otherwise empty office, he spoke to someone.

“Thank you for coming.”

As Theodore slowly turned around…

An animal had somehow appeared in the corner of the room.

“Lord Pallas.”

Theodore called the name while looking into the creature’s jet-black pupils surrounded by golden irises.

The animal calmly returned his gaze.

Because of the markings scattered across its head, it looked somewhat like a tiger cub at first glance.

But it was much smaller.

After sitting for a moment with its paws resting on its thick tail, the animal began to move.

Slowly.

As the cylindrical little creature walked forward, its fluffy fur swayed gently.

Soon its body began to distort…

…and transformed into that of a human.

The moment the transformation was complete, he snapped his fingers.

Clothes instantly wrapped themselves around his body.

“You suddenly summoned me here, so I wondered what was going on.”

As he slowly tied back his loose gray hair, the man looked out the window.

“So… you actually found it.”

His gaze settled on one member of the group gathered in the garden.

Or rather…

One tiny rabbit.

A small rabbit with snow-white fur.

“A rabbit that carries the Power of Spring.”

Pallas Manul, the northern Archmage and a manul cat beastfolk, quietly curled the corners of his lips into a smile.