Chapter 14
Ray’s hands moved with surprising care and precision as he treated her wound.
Perea thought to herself that he might actually have some natural talent for medicine, not just swordsmanship.
She imagined him in a doctor’s white coat — tall, broad-shouldered, serious — and before she knew it, her lips curled up in a dreamy smile.
“You really are a pervert, huh? Smiling while getting treated.”
Ray glanced up at her face, frowning.
The disinfectant must’ve stung, yet Perea was smiling like an idiot. To him, she didn’t look quite sane.
He had already noticed she hummed happily whenever she treated his wounds — but now she was openly grinning?
Deciding she was a hopeless case, Ray finished bandaging her hand with a displeased expression, as if afraid her “pervert germs” might spread.
“I-I wasn’t smiling because of that! I was just… thinking of something else!”
“Oh, were you now?”
“Really!”
“And what were you thinking about?”
At that, Perea’s mouth shut tight like a clam.
She might not have much of an image to protect in front of him, but confessing that she’d been daydreaming about him in a doctor’s coat? That was too much, even for her.
Ray’s frown deepened. The normally talkative woman suddenly going silent made him even more suspicious.
But no matter how he looked at her, she refused to open her mouth again.
In the end, Perea trudged back to the village, feeling more bruised in spirit than in her hand.
Her palm only stung a little, but being misunderstood as a weirdo hurt far worse.
***
“Perea!”
The moment she stepped into the village entrance, Harun came running, shouting her name anxiously.
On his shoulders sat Theo, riding happily on his back like a prince on a throne.
The young rabbit man’s long, fluffy ears were caught in Theo’s small hands.
He wasn’t holding them as tightly as before, but for a rabbit beastman, having one’s ears grabbed was still pure terror.
Perea hurried over to help.
“Theo! I just got back from the forest — come give me a big hug!”
“Mhm! Perea, let’s hug!”
Each time Theo tilted his head, his golden hair shimmered like honey, and his round ears flapped adorably.
He looked like an angel — though everyone who knew his true nature understood he was actually a top predator.
Theo finally released Harun’s poor ears and jumped into Perea’s arms.
Sniff sniff.
He buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in her scent.
Some beastmen had a habit of checking someone’s condition through smell, and normally, Perea’s scent was like flowers — warm and pleasant.
But this time, something unfamiliar slipped through that fragrance.
Theo’s tail stiffened instantly.
“Perea, weird smell…!”
“Me?”
“Yeah! Perea hurt?”
Startled, she looked down at her clothes, wondering if she’d picked up a grass smell — and then remembered.
“Ah, right! I fell on the way back and scraped my hand. Maybe that’s what you’re smelling.”
“You fell? You hurt? Theo blow on it? Make it better?”
The little prince looked heartbroken at the sight of her bandaged palm.
Unlike his stoic knight, he was overflowing with empathy.
“If Theo blows on it, I’m sure it’ll heal faster!”
“Okay! I do it!”
Theo puffed his cheeks with great determination and gently blew warm air over her injured hand.
His tiny pursed lips were so adorable that Perea almost melted on the spot.
She was about to thank him when—
“Smiling again. Pervert.”
Ray’s voice cut through the sweet moment like a sword.
Perea shot him a sharp glare, then quickly turned back to Theo.
“Wow! It doesn’t hurt at all now! Theo, you’re amazing!”
Her exaggerated cheer made the little boy blush happily, his tail wagging again in delight.
Watching him beam so brightly, Perea felt a pang in her chest.
How could anyone target such a kind, innocent child?
She silently wished that whoever was behind the attacks would suffer sleepless nights and divine punishment for what they’d tried to do.
***
That evening, after another hearty dinner (mostly piles of meat for Theo), Ray called out softly:
“Theo. Come here.”
The boy, who had been running excitedly along the wall, stopped and hurried over, golden eyes shining with curiosity.
“Yes, Ray! I’m here!”
“Do you still want to stay in this village?”
It was the first time Ray had asked this since Theo said he liked Timi Village and wanted to live here longer.
Hearing the question, Theo’s ears and tail drooped immediately.
Even without saying it, he could tell what Ray meant.
He was young, but having grown up in the imperial palace, he was perceptive — sharper than most adults.
Ray gently lifted him onto his lap.
“We haven’t been to Eclit yet, remember? It’ll be even more fun there.”
“No! This place is better!”
Theo pouted, listing reasons with the seriousness of a scholar: there were carrots, rabbit friends, and no strict adults yelling at him.
“And Perea doesn’t have ears or a tail! Theo has to protect her!”
His little body tensed as he declared this proudly — like a brave rabbit knight defending a princess.
Ray chuckled quietly.
It was true — since coming here, Theo had become more expressive and emotionally open.
At first, Ray had thought staying in this snow-rabbit village was a bad idea.
But now… if circumstances were different, he might have wanted to stay longer too.
If only they could.
Because the truth was, this peaceful time was about to end.
He hugged Theo tightly and said in a calm voice:
“Theo, your brothers’ men are coming here soon. If we stay, it might put Perea in danger.”
“Huh…?”
Ray hadn’t wanted to mention Theo’s brothers at all — but there was no more time to spare.
He needed to make the boy understand.
“Brothers?”
At that word, Theo’s expression went blank.
All the warmth and light vanished from his face, replaced by a cold stillness — like a glass mask.
He pictured his older brothers’ eyes, always looking down at him with disdain.
Just remembering them made the cheerful village fade away, replaced by the suffocating darkness of the imperial palace.
A low growl rumbled from his throat, his golden eyes glowing faintly.
“Yes. We found proof in the forest. Theo, it’s time to say goodbye to the rabbit village and to Perea.”
“No…”
“Theo.”
“No! No!”
Theo jumped out of his arms and stomped his feet. Tears welled up in his eyes as he shouted.
He didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want to leave.
This was the first place he had ever truly loved.
In the palace, waking up every morning had felt like a burden.
But here, he opened his eyes before sunrise, excited to see his friends and play in the snow.
The more he thought about it, the angrier and sadder he felt.
Ray hesitated, stunned — he had never seen the boy so emotional before.
Then—
“What’s going on?”
Perea burst into the room, still wearing her white coat. She had just finished treating an emergency patient.
Normally, when Theo was with Ray, he was calm and well-behaved.
Ray, too, acted almost gentle when caring for the prince.
But now Theo was crying and yelling, and Ray was kneeling awkwardly in front of him, looking helpless.
Perea blinked, confused by the sight.
“Ray, did you hit him?”
“What?”
She had thought her guess was reasonable, but judging by his face, it wasn’t the case.
Clearing her throat awkwardly, she decided to comfort Theo first.
She bent down, picked him up carefully — and nearly lost balance from the weight.
He had grown a lot over the past few days.
Still, she steadied herself and held him tightly.
The moment she did, Theo clung to her like a koala, wrapping his short arms and legs around her so she couldn’t move.
“Theo won’t let go of Perea!”
The possessive declaration made Ray sigh and rub his temples.
The little prince’s attachment had grown far stronger than he’d realized.
And though he’d never admit it aloud, a faint, unfamiliar irritation flickered in Ray’s chest as he watched the boy cling to her.
