Chapter 17
“Her original home…”
Repeating Demirun’s words in his mind, Theodore gave a bitter smile.
Did that rabbit ever really have a place she could call her original home?
When Theodore remained silent, Demirun smiled faintly and asked again.
“Haven’t you always done things this way, Your Grace? Every emergency ration you brought back has eventually been returned to the wild. Not a single one has stayed here. Are you planning to make Lady Snowflake an exception?”
“Stop trying to test me.”
Theodore answered expressionlessly as he stood up.
“If you had been there, you heard it too.”
That voice.
Theodore’s golden eyes locked onto Demirun’s.
Without realizing it, Demirun clenched his fist.
Yes.
He had definitely heard it.
The voice of a young girl.
While he himself had still been trying to understand what was happening, his lord had already charged straight through the avalanche toward the owner of that voice—
Toward the arctic hare standing on the snowy hill.
A beastman in animal form could not normally be heard by beastmen in human form.
If someone could overturn such a natural law…
Then that being could only possess the power of a god.
“So that’s what it was after all.”
Theodore’s expression immediately darkened at Demirun’s words.
“Even for me, that look is frightening, Your Grace. Since you refused to explain anything properly, I had no choice but to test you.”
“…”
“By the way, how did you know I was testing you?”
Theodore stayed silent again.
Demirun refused to back down.
“Well? Aren’t you going to answer?”
“You know you need to practice talking more often. Your Grace, you’re far too quiet. At this rate, even the Young Masters—and Lady Snowflake—will never know how you truly feel.”
Looking at Theodore’s deeply furrowed brow, Demirun smiled.
Even that stern expression suits his noble appearance perfectly.
“…Understood. I’ll be more careful.”
Theodore let out a deep sigh.
“So… does that answer your question?”
“Yes. I understand perfectly now that you have no intention of letting Lady Snowflake go. So if you ever need me, please feel free to use me however you—”
Before Demirun could finish his exaggerated bow—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Violent pounding shook the door.
“Your Grace, don’t do it!”
“Your Grace! Please don’t!”
BANG! BANG!
CRACK!
The door shook violently.
With a loud crack, the wood split apart.
The doorknob fell to the floor.
Through the two round holes left in the broken door, the faces of two boys appeared.
Ferdy.
Louis.
“…Ah.”
Louis, the obvious culprit behind the destroyed office door, let out a helpless gasp.
“P-Please, Your Grace! Don’t eat Snowy!”
He squeezed his eyes shut and shouted desperately.
“I was in such a hurry that I accidentally broke the door! I’m sorry! I’ll fix it later, I promise! But please… just this once… please don’t eat Snowy!”
“I beg you too!”
Ferdy quickly bowed.
Louis copied his older brother, still clutching the broken doorknob while bending deeply at the waist.
“Hmm…”
Demirun scratched his head awkwardly.
Apparently, the boys had misunderstood what he’d meant by ‘use me however you wish.’
It wasn’t surprising.
The two young masters didn’t know the truth about the emergency rations.
It seemed that Lady Snowflake had become someone special to them as well.
“…How troublesome.”
Theodore let out another long sigh.
His low voice made both boys flinch.
You can’t just skip the explanation.
Demirun narrowed his eyes.
At that moment, Theodore calmly walked toward the shattered door.
He grabbed what remained of the broken handle and pulled the door open.
Stopping before his two sons, he said,
“Good. Your timing is perfect.”
“You’re both coming with me.”
“…Huh?”
Ferdy and Louis exchanged confused glances.
*
“T-Take care, My Lord.”
After confirming that Anna had carefully placed the rabbit into Ferdy’s arms, Theodore silently began walking.
Ferdy hugged Nabom tightly.
Louis followed close behind, watching the rabbit with worried eyes.
The two brothers suddenly looked at each other.
Whatever they imagined made both of them shiver.
Watching the boys and Theodore’s back, Nabom tilted her head.
What’s going on?
She looked behind her.
Demirun was following as well.
Seeing Nabom looking at him, he gave her a faint smile.
Where are we all going?
After walking for quite some time, they arrived at a building Nabom had never seen before.
There’s still a building in Grizzly Castle I haven’t discovered?
Just how enormous is this place?!
As she looked up at it in amazement, Ferdy and Louis suddenly stopped.
“Why are we…”
“The annex…?”
Both boys looked puzzled.
Theodore glanced back at them.
They hurried after him again.
They crossed the annex lobby, climbed the stairs, and turned into the hallway on the right.
At the very end of the corridor was a single room.
Theodore knocked before slowly opening the door.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ferdy and Louis stepped inside.
Demirun bowed politely toward the four of them—including Nabom—as though seeing them off, then quietly closed the door.
This place…
The room was dark.
Only a tiny gap in the curtains allowed a sliver of light inside.
A large bed stood against one wall.
“Liv.”
Theodore called softly.
Someone lying on the bed slowly sat up.
Whose room is this?
Long hair slipped down over the person’s shoulders.
Wearing loose sleepwear that resembled a patient’s gown…
It was a woman.
As Theodore met her eyes, she slowly turned her head.
In the dim room, Nabom felt the woman’s gaze fall on her.
She flinched.
But the woman’s eyes soon returned to Theodore.
Without knowing why, Nabom quietly sighed in relief.
The woman gave Theodore a small nod.
He then slowly walked toward Ferdy.
No…
More precisely—
Toward Nabom.
“…”
Theodore silently looked down at the rabbit in Ferdy’s arms.
Ferdy’s grip tightened.
What’s he thinking?
Nabom swallowed nervously.
Louis instinctively stepped forward as if to shield Ferdy.
Ferdy shook his head.
Then he looked up at Theodore with determined eyes.
“F-Father… do you need something from Snowy?”
“Put her down.”
Theodore spoke only those few words.
Ferdy.
Louis.
Nabom.
All three shrank back at once.
Seeing their frightened expressions, Theodore suddenly remembered Demirun’s words.
“At this rate, even the Young Masters and Lady Snowflake won’t know how you truly feel.”
He bit his lower lip.
He was right.
He didn’t want to frighten them with cold, short answers.
Not…
His precious children.
“…I won’t hurt the rabbit.”
Those unexpected words immediately softened Ferdy’s expression.
He carefully placed Nabom on the floor.
The rabbit looked back and forth between Ferdy and Theodore in confusion.
Theodore slowly knelt until he was at eye level with her.
Is he going to pick me up?
Nabom instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.
Instead—
“Follow me.”
His voice was unexpectedly gentle.
Theodore walked toward the bed first.
Nabom cautiously followed behind him.
Stopping beside the bed, Theodore pointed toward Nabom.
“Allow me to introduce her.”
“This is a rabbit.”
It was an unbelievably simple introduction.
The woman sitting on the bed seemed to chuckle quietly.
Then Theodore pointed toward the woman.
“And this…”
“My wife.”
He looked back at Nabom.
The woman slowly lowered her head in a graceful greeting.
Her elegant movements were so refined that Nabom instinctively bowed in return.
So… she’s Ferdy and Louis’s mother?
She didn’t even have time to remember Louis crying in his sleep—
“I’m sorry… Mom…”
Because Theodore suddenly spoke again.
“There is something I wish to announce to every member of the Grizzly family gathered here.”
His voice was solemn.
“I…”
He paused for a moment.
“I have decided regarding this arctic hare beastman…”
Theodore stopped speaking.
Everyone—
Including Nabom—
Unconsciously swallowed nervously.
