Chapter 14

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 14

Chapter Title: Rabbit Burrow

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"Ugh, I figured as much."

To my firm refusal, Elise surprisingly pulled away from the desk and flopped down into her chair.

Good thing she was a rabbit who gave up quickly.

At that moment, she glanced around and started sniffing.

"Hmm... But since a while ago, there's this really stuffy, clogged-up strawberry smell in this room..."

"Is there a smell like that...?"

Did a smell like that even exist in the world?

Elise tilted her head while sniffing to herself, then suddenly clapped her hands as if she'd realized something.

"Ah... You counseled Luna unnie, didn't you?"

Elise propped her chin on her hand and asked me.

"That unnie—she's exhausted, right?"

I didn't respond to her words. A client's story, no matter what it is, can't be shared with others.

I simply waited silently for her next words. Taking my silence as confirmation, Elise let out a small smirk.

"Luna unnie... she's kind, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠isn't she? Super kind, and a good person, that's true... But do you know what her most fatal flaw is?"

I nearly asked casually what it was.

I leaned in, listening closely.

S-rank Hunter Luna. Hearing stories straight from someone close to her was incredibly valuable intel.

Elise savored my expectant gaze for a moment before casually speaking up.

"She's dense."

"...Pardon?"

Did I hear that wrong?

Elise widened her eyes as if she couldn't believe me and repeated herself.

"Den-se. You don't know what 'dense' means?"

I knew what it meant, but...

How did that relate to any of this...?

"Because she's so dense, she's totally blocked up, you know? In all sorts~ of ways."

She drew out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"all sorts~" meaningfully, flashing a suggestive smile.

"She's always lecturing me about carrying myself as a proud member of the Empire this, or being wary of beastkin instincts that—you have no idea how much she nags."

Elise shook her long ears as if utterly fed up.

"It's ridiculous. Those oh-so-great Empire folks don't even treat beastkin like us as people."

I felt like I'd grasped a clue.

Luna's worry.

The true meaning behind the line: [A member of the Empire, a member of the beastkin. She stands precariously between those identities.]

But oddly, it didn't sit entirely right with me. Was it because she kept dissing my client?

It felt like poking at a sore spot.

Without thinking, I shot back at Elise a bit aggressively.

"You sure know a lot, Elise. Must have plenty of experience yourself."

The seductive smile on Elise's face stiffened slightly.

"...Huh? W-what... Ha, haha... Of course, right...? I'm a r-rabbit beastkin, after all? It'd be weirder if I didn't know... right?"

She forced an awkward, exaggerated laugh and quickly changed the subject.

"...Whoa! What's this?"

Elise's red eyes locked onto the small cookie basket on the desk.

Without asking, she snatched one up and popped it straight into her mouth.

"Nom nom—hmm?! This is delicious!"

She chewed away, letting out a pure exclamation of delight.

"You can take that whole thing and go."

"Really? Nom nom. Then just one more, and I'll head out."

She mumbled with her mouth stuffed full of cookie.

I pressed my temple and gestured to the entire basket.

"Take it all..."

The moment I gave permission, Elise swept the remaining cookies into her combat uniform pockets like a squirrel.

But right then—

"Put those down, Elise."

The HR team leader walked in.

Elise froze in place, cookies in hand.

"What are you doing here... during work hours...?"

"Aww, so close..."

To the team leader's sigh-laced scolding, her perked-up ears drooped limply as she pouted.

She pulled the cookies out of her pockets one by one and set them down.

In the end, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Elise was dragged away by the HR team leader.

I just watched the whole thing quietly.

At that very moment, in Luna's rabbit burrow.

The rabbit burrow wasn't any grand magic.

It was simply her bedroom—the safest place in the world.

More precisely, an intensely personal escape spell that let her dive straight onto the bed.

With the sensation of space warping, Luna's soft body sank into the fluffy bed.

She buried her face right into the massive pillow.

Unlike her outward icy image, the room was packed with pastel furniture and rabbit dolls.

"Uuugh......"

A moment later, she kicked her legs up into the air and started thrashing the innocent bed.

Like a child throwing a tantrum, she pounded the white duvet with her feet clad in white socks.

Her identity was exposed. Her crying face had been seen.

All the dignity and grace she'd built as S-rank Hunter Luna lay utterly shattered.

There was nothing left to hide now.

She stopped kicking and hugged the giant carrot-shaped body pillow by the headboard.

"I'm screwed..."

Until that evening, Luna remained holed up in her bed.

It wasn't like her at all.

The star-shaped glow-in-the-dark stickers on the ceiling faintly shimmered in the darkness.

But they offered her no comfort whatsoever.

'Is he still at the guild...?'

She'd heard he was doing counseling late into the evening. Without realizing it, she checked the time.

'By now...'

She hurriedly threw on some clothes. She couldn't just skip out like this. She barely dragged herself up.

Before she knew it, she'd arrived in front of the Union Guild building.

Luna crept down the hall like a stray cat—no, a thieving rabbit—heading to her private waiting room.

Thankfully, the counseling floor was dark, and the hall was empty.

She let out a sigh of relief and reached for her door—right then.

"Ah... Luna-nim... You couldn't have timed it better..."

Her shoulders stiffened at the voice from behind.

It was Team Leader Guk Hae-won.

Looking like he'd had a rough day, he approached with a weary smile.

In his hand was a small paper bag with an elegant design.

"Counselor Yoo Seon-woo insisted I deliver this before he clocked out."

Luna took the bag with a puzzled look.

Inside was a small box tied with a pretty ribbon and a crisp card.

She opened the card first.

And read the letter inside...

Luna stared blankly at the letter for a long while.

Unlike his sharp, chiseled features, it was an incredibly... fluffy letter that stirred something strange in a corner of her heart.

It brimmed only with patient consideration, in no rush at all.

To that warmth, she felt her cheeks flush without warning.

'What...?'

It felt like the first time in her life receiving a clumsy yet sincere love letter—such an unfamiliar sensation.

With trembling hands, she opened the box.

A sweet butter aroma wafted out, revealing plump, mouthwatering cookies slathered in white cream frosting.

"What is with this guy..."

Her absolute favorite snack. The cookies she secretly devoured when stress hit its peak.

The instant she picked one up, she spotted a small memo tucked underneath.

Scribbled in a lighter, more casual handwriting than the letter.

"......"

Seeing the memo, Luna murmured softly.

"...Team leader, do I have any official schedule tomorrow?"

"Pardon? Ah... No. Tomorrow's your day off, as far as I know... Something come up?"

The flustered team leader answered her out-of-the-blue question.

Avoiding his eyes, Luna gazed down at the cookie in her hand and mumbled.

"Then tomorrow... I'll take a personal day..."

"Pardon?"

"Tomorrow... I'm going to that counseling office..."

The team leader's eyes went wide as saucers.

Counseling she'd never accepted, no matter how many times urged.

And now, her taking the initiative?

Guk Hae-won doubted his own ears, asking over and over, but Luna gave no reply.

She thought to herself.

Somehow, just once.

She absolutely had to meet him.

As if sealing her resolve, she took a massive bite of the cookie in her hand.

"Wow..."

Her mouth filled to the brim... with sweet, velvety cream.

That evening, I leaned back in my chair, staring at the translucent system window floating in midair.

In fact, this alone meant I'd already succeeded halfway.

When we first met, her emotions revolved around the heavy theme of identity confusion.

But now? Different story.

All her feelings had shifted to much simpler, clearer ones: embarrassment and shame.

Turning a chronic condition into a temporary acute one.

Perfect first step in treatment.

Then, the system window flickered—her status updated.

By now, she'd probably received the little gift I'd asked the team leader to pass along.

I kept my eyes glued to the system window.

This was the best a counselor could do.

If the client doesn't want counseling, there's nothing for it.

And soon enough, the change I'd been waiting for happened.

"Perfect."

I closed the floating system window with a satisfied smile.

This was more than enough.

The wary, wounded rabbit had finally hopped right into the trap I'd set—all on her own.

The bait? Probably the cream cookies.

Now all that remained was treating this terrified rabbit.

A veterinarian's job from here was simple.

"The Empire and the beastkin."

On my way home, I'd grabbed thick research papers on the regulated world: the Empire—from the association's archive, stacking them like a mountain on my desk.

These would fill in the official knowledge on the Empire's history and societal structure.

...And once I had the official info, I'd need the unofficial kind too.

I booted up my computer and logged into the familiar site.

"......"

This one...

It had to be legit, right?

After a brief moment of hesitation, I dove headfirst into the chaotic rabbit burrow.

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