TPWB 11

Chapter 11

It had already been four days since Prince Theo began staying in the village.

During that time, the young prince had spent his days drooling happily over carrots with the rabbit children, running and playing to his heart’s content.

The snow-rabbit cubs were still too young for their instincts to be well-honed. When Theo laughed, they laughed too, simply following along with his joy.

For the adults, however, their hearts were burning black with unease.

Of course, they couldn’t tell the prince he wasn’t allowed to play with their children. But watching him romp about with them—knowing how vast the gap of status and species was between them—left a sour taste in their mouths.

Inevitably, they began probing Pera with discreet questions.

“Pera, that leopard noble young master… how long is he planning to stay in our village?”

Every villager who came to her clinic seemed to ask the same thing. She felt as though calluses were forming on her ears from hearing it so often.

What was worse—Pera herself had no idea when the prince would be leaving. Judging by how things were going, he might even stay longer than expected. That thought left her more anxious than anyone else.

“Phew…”

She let out a sigh without realizing it, then another long one slipped free right after.

“Careful. You’ll collapse the ground like that.”

“…Sorry?”

“If you sigh that heavily, won’t the earth cave in? Then again, with a house like yours—it already looks like it might blow away in the wind.”

Pera’s brows knit together at the man’s blunt insult. Only then did she realize she had sighed right in front of him, and she startled in embarrassment.

Still, he was her patient at the moment, waiting for treatment. She was his doctor.

No personal feelings during treatment! she reminded herself sternly.

With a sharp shake of her head, she pushed away needless thoughts and dabbed disinfectant over Ray’s wound.

Perhaps the saying about “beastly and their monstrous healing” had been coined with him in mind. The terrible gash he’d borne less than a week ago was already sprouting fresh skin.

She had originally planned to remove his stitches in ten days, but his recovery was so advanced that she had decided to take them out today instead.

“Ahem! I only sighed because I have a lot on my mind… Anyway, there’s no pain, is there?”

“With a head that small, no wonder it gets stuffed full after the tiniest bit of thinking.”

“What…! My head? What’s wrong with it? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my veterinary class!”

She looked about ready to march home and fetch her diploma. Ray, watching the bright red flush creeping over her face, chuckled inwardly.

He had discovered, in these past few days, just how much fun it was to tease this human woman.

Theo’s innocence and boundless affection made him smile. Pera, however, drew out his laughter in a different way—with her fiery, unpredictable reactions.

Like now: he’d only meant that her brain must be cramped in a small head, but she had jumped to the conclusion that he was calling her stupid.

It was ridiculous. And entertaining.

Like a monkey hopping about with a sore bottom, he thought, biting back a grin.

“Fine, fine. You must be clever—you became a doctor, after all. So stop fussing and finish treating me.”

“Ah… yes. Of course.”

Realizing she had gotten far too worked up compared to his calm demeanor, Pera ducked her head, cheeks hot with embarrassment.

After that, silence fell, and she finished her work swiftly. As expected, he did not so much as flinch throughout the procedure. Truly a stubborn beast.

Pera, meanwhile, focused intently on checking his wound with care, determined not to give him another chance to make her flustered.

“You can let it get wet now. But obviously, no swimming or long baths just yet.”

“Understood. Then I can move around freely too?”

She nodded. He had already been moving about more than enough without permission, but she let it go.

“Good. Then come with me to the forest.”

“…What?”

Her eyes widened at the sudden invitation. There was only one place around here referred to as “the forest”—the site of the carriage accident where Theo and Ray had first arrived.

Why would he want to go back there?

Then a thought struck her.

“Ah! Are you going to start repairing the carriage today?”

“What?”

“You’ll need to fix it in order to return… isn’t that it?”

“Of course not. I’m no mage. Do you think I could stick shattered wood back together again?”

Ray gave an incredulous laugh. Without meaning to, Pera had blurted her secret wish aloud—that he would hurry up and leave.

Flustered, she ducked her head once more, ears burning red with shame.

Unlike beast, humans had no ears or tails to betray their moods. Ray had to read Pera’s feelings only through her eyes, her lips, her expressions.

At first it had been a nuisance. But somewhere along the way, he had grown used to it. Now, studying the subtle shifts of her face no longer felt like a chore.

In fact—discovering a new expression on her was almost as satisfying as mastering a new sword technique.

Of course, he told himself, it was probably just because he spent so much time around Theo, who adored her. That affection must have rubbed off on him.

It was the kind of clumsy reasoning only a swordsman—who had given every ounce of his sensitivity to the blade—would come up with.

And so, the “forest expedition” ended up consisting of just two members.

Theo had thrown a fit, of course, demanding to come along, but Ray was unyielding. Seeing the accident site again might scar the boy, and the debris still scattered there was far too dangerous.

For once, even Pera—who usually indulged Theo’s every whim—agreed wholeheartedly. There was nothing good for a child to see in that place.

“Then… Theo plays with the bunny brothers, okay?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Stay with them, and we’ll be back soon.”

Theo’s golden eyes flicked toward the young rabbit men standing nearby. His innocent smile didn’t quite mask the sharp glint in those eyes, and Harun’s ears quivered nervously.

But the prince flipped his mood like turning a palm. He leapt into Harun’s arms, beaming.

“Let’s play together! Okay?”

“Ah… ha, ha, ha. O-of course, Your Highness…”

“How about tag first? I’ll be ‘it’! Go hide!”

With a gleeful shout, Theo bared his sharp little teeth. Harun bolted like lightning, and the other youths scattered just as fast.

Thankfully, rabbits were good at running and hiding. That was the only comfort they had.

“See you later!”

Before charging off, Theo bent low in a deep bow toward Pera and Ray.

It was a bow he had copied from the village children, who did it when greeting elders.

In the palace, everyone had bowed to him while he ignored it. But here, Theo mimicked everything the rabbits did, eager to belong.

He ate without fuss, dressed himself clumsily, even began practicing letters on his own.

Because of that, caring for him had become far easier for Ray. Though, of course, his stoic face and curt words betrayed none of it.

Receiving the prince’s formal farewell, Pera hefted her bag and peeked inside once more.

It was packed with medicine and tools for any emergency. Even a small forest could hide danger, and she intended to be prepared.

“You can’t carry even that?”

“I only set it down, it’s not heavy!”

“Ah, I see. Well, since we’re going because of me, if it is heavy, I’ll carry it for you.”

“…It’s not that light either, you know.”

She quickly changed her tune, thrusting the bag toward him. After all, this forest trip was his idea. Carrying her pack was the least he could do.

“Hurry up!”

She shook her arm impatiently, and to her surprise, Ray took the bag without a word.

She had expected some sarcastic remark before he agreed. But he simply shouldered it.

Blinking at the sudden lightness in her hands, Pera broke into a triumphant grin. Like a puppy that had bested a tiger, her expression brimmed with pride.

If she had a tail, it would have been wagging high in the air.

Somewhere along the way, her feelings toward Ray had shifted. The fear and wariness she had first felt toward a predator beastman were fading.

In their place was something gentler—like the fondness one feels for a haughty, prickly cat.

It was still too faint for either of them to notice. But it had already begun.