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Chapter 4
In the imperial palace, everyone—including Theo and his brothers—was called “Prince.”
But Theo found it annoying. His brothers were childish and mean, and he didn’t like being lumped together with them. That was why he disliked it when Pera called him “Prince.”
He wanted to be called Theo, not the Prince.
Of course, Pera had no way of knowing his true feelings, but she happily granted his wish.
“Yes, yes, Lord Theo. Shall I keep calling you that from now on?”
“Mmhm. I want you to.”
His little head bobbed up and down with such vigor that his round ears flapped adorably with every motion.
Pera nearly melted into a puddle at the sheer cuteness of it. She was on the verge of collapsing into goo when a loud cough from behind jolted her back to reality. She quickly continued the conversation.
“Where were you headed, Your—uh, Theo?”
“Me? I was going to play with Ray. Over there, to… Ekuri!”
“E…kuri? Do you mean Ecklet?”
“Yeah! Ekuri!”
Theo’s tongue wasn’t fully developed yet, so some words came out funny. Pera understood this, though it didn’t make stifling her laughter any easier. She bit her lip to keep from bursting out.
Still, something felt strange. Eklet was a resort area far from Timi Village.
Why would an accident happen here, of all places, if they were headed to Eklet?
The road from the capital to Eklet was well-paved and direct. There was no reason for them to detour through this region.
Pera and Harun exchanged puzzled glances. At that moment, Theo tugged at Pera’s shoulder.
“I want to see Ray—he’s snoring!”
“Ah… yes. Shall we go see him together, then?”
“Mmhm!”
Theo cheered and hopped excitedly in place, opening his mouth in delight. Each time his sharp canines flashed in the light, Harun’s long rabbit ears twitched nervously.
It was instinct—herbivores couldn’t help but fear predators.
“Pera, I’ll tidy up here,” Harun said, swallowing hard.
“Mm, okay.”
Unlike Harun, Pera was human. She wasn’t sensitive to the aura predators gave off, which was why she could hold Theo’s hand so casually.
Harun, meanwhile, shuddered just like when he had watched Pera humming as she stitched up the stranger’s wound.
The man was still lying unconscious on the examination bed.
Given his injuries, any ordinary person would need at least three days of rest. Yet he had briefly awakened and even swung his sword earlier, aggravating his wounds.
When Pera glanced at him—remembering all too vividly the feel of that blade at her throat—his eyes suddenly snapped open.
Their gazes met head-on.
“Aaahhh!”
Pera shrieked as if she had just seen a ghost and stumbled backward. His silver ears twitched irritably at the noise.
“Quiet.”
Once again, he ordered silence without preamble. Pera slapped her hands over her mouth, seething inwardly. Unfair, arrogant brute. But he was still her patient—and likely a noble. She had no choice but to swallow her pride.
The man’s eyes scanned her from head to toe, lingering with skepticism. A veterinarian? She looks far too clumsy to be trustworthy.
Before he could speak, a golden head popped up from below.
“Ray!”
Theo barreled forward with open arms. At the sight of the child, the man’s sharp eyes softened at once. His lips curved upward, forming a rare gentle smile as he reached out his large hand.
It was so big it could cover Theo’s entire head, yet his touch was careful, tender. Watching, Pera felt an odd ticklishness in her chest.
“Are you alright, Theo?” the man asked softly.
“Mm! Theo is strong! Ray, did you snore well?”
“Yeah, I slept well.”
Pera blinked in disbelief.
What?! Did he really just say that… so kindly?!
All she had heard from him was icy, cutting words like “quiet,” and now he was cooing like a saint. She pouted in frustration at the unfairness of it.
Still, she had to admit—the sight of the handsome man with the adorable prince was heartwarming. If only he kept his mouth shut…
“Why are you glaring?”
Nope. Mouth open—problem returned.
Pera nearly protested, I wasn’t glaring, I was admiring, but wisely clamped her lips shut. Whatever she said, he would twist it.
“Ray! Pera is a human! You should use nice words with her!”
“…What?”
“She doesn’t have ears or a tail, so she’s weak! Theo and Ray have to protect her!”
The man chuckled faintly at the boy’s declaration.
Pera froze, indignant. Excuse me? Weak? She had lived her whole life in this village, never once thinking herself fragile for being human. But to a predator child, it was obvious.
And that laugh—so unexpectedly warm—it nearly made her stare too long. She shook her head briskly.
“Yes. Humans are weak. So don’t hit her too hard.”
“Mm! Theo won’t hit hard!”
Pera winced. Is that… child-rearing? Not ‘don’t hit people,’ but ‘don’t hit too hard’?! Then again, Theo was royalty. Who could really stop him? Maybe this was the proper way to raise a prince.
Still, she felt uneasy.
The man—Ray—crooked a finger at her.
It was the kind of half-hearted summons you’d use on a stray dog. Muttering under her breath, Pera trudged over anyway.
“Explain this place. In detail.”
It was pure command. No courtesy, no softness. Rabbits like Harun would have asked politely, apologizing for the inconvenience. But Ray? No such thing.
Pera’s opinion of snow leopards plummeted from zero to negative.
“Answer.”
He pressed again before she had even stopped walking. His impatience was astounding. Pera hurried forward, blurting out,
“This is Timi Village, home of the snow-rabbit beast. It lies on the eastern edge of the Amur Empire.”
“Rabbit beast…” he muttered.
“Yes, yes, exactly,” she said quickly, biting back the rest—so you and the prince should hurry and leave.
While she faltered under his cold stare, Theo suddenly piped up.
“Theo likes it here! Theo will live here!”
Pera’s jaw dropped.
“Y-Your Highness? Here?!”
She laughed nervously, shaking her head as if he were joking. But Theo didn’t joke. His serious little face repeated his claim.
“Theo likes it. Theo will live here—in the fingernail house!”
“…Eh?”
Pera blinked, lost for words, and turned to Ray. Surely he would step in and insist on returning to the capital?
Instead, he gently stroked Theo’s golden hair and asked,
“You like it here? Don’t you want to see Eklet?”
“Mm! I like it here more!”
Ray nodded calmly, no further questions. His expression all but promised to indulge Theo’s every whim.
Pera flailed her hands in panic. “N-no, no, this isn’t—” But neither predator paid her the slightest mind.
While she wrestled with how to refuse them, a knock came at the door.
“Pera, I finished tidying up the living roo—oh…!”
Harun stepped in, froze at the sight of the awakened man, and gasped. His long ears pressed flat to his skull in terror.
Ray’s eyes flicked to him lazily.
“Hmm… is that rabbit a veterinarian too?”
Pera waved her hands frantically. “No, no! Harun is the village youth leader! Um—excuse me for a moment! I’ll just… confer with him!”
Ray glanced between her and Harun, then shrugged. His shoulders shifted with the motion, and though it must have tugged at his wounds, not a flicker of pain crossed his face.
Pera scowled inwardly. What a stubborn brute. She quickly shoved Harun back into the living room before Ray could say anything more.
