Before I End Up as Rabbit Stew - Chapter 11

“What to do, what to do.”

Yimae bustled about, pacing back and forth. Even transformed into a human, the way she neatly gathered her front paws and hopped was unmistakably that of a rabbit.

“How did this happen?”

The pavilion had become so small compared to Yimae’s body that she could traverse the yard in just five steps. Unable to stop her feet in her panic, Yimae suddenly lifted her head. The sun was setting. Soon, the Black Dragon and the royal guard would visit the pavilion. She couldn’t possibly show her naked body to two men. Anxiously, she turned towards the weeping willow tree.

“Huh.”

Yimae momentarily lost her balance and tumbled head over heels. When she became human, all her physical abilities were halved. Especially these legs, they were so weak that they would falter and cause her to fall like this even without walking for long.

“My lord.”

Hearing the royal guard’s voice, Yimae was as startled as if struck by lightning. She scrambled to her feet and slipped into the thick of the weeping willow branches, hiding herself.

“My lord.”

This time, the royal guard even knocked on the door, calling for Yimae. Yimae leaned back against the tree trunk, desperately hoping he would pass by.

“That’s enough.”

But to make matters worse, this time the Black Dragon himself entered, carrying a meal. He walked straight to the weeping willow tree and examined the pavilion this way and that. He was clearly looking for Yimae.

Yimae felt relieved to see the royal guard retreating through the thin leaves, but she was also afraid that the Black Dragon’s frosty black eyes would find her.

“She couldn’t have gone far.”

The Black Dragon muttered quietly to himself. Hearing that, Yimae suddenly touched her ear. She remembered the ornament that would explode if she moved too far away from the Black Dragon. But unfortunately, it seemed that the ornament hadn’t disappeared just because she had become human. The ornament was still firmly attached to her human ear.

As if he thought she would return soon, the Black Dragon put down the meal. And then he plopped down in front of the tree trunk opposite Yimae. The leaves fell from the weeping willow branches as his large, rock-like body shook the ground.

‘Please just go, please!’

The Black Dragon was sitting so close that Yimae even held her breath. She felt like her heaving breaths would reach him. It was then. As if a butterfly gently landed on a petal, a weeping willow leaf fell on her nose. And as if it were her last dance, it spun around, riding on Yimae’s breath.

“Ah, achoo!”

The sneeze wasn’t loud, but it was enough to shake the tiny pigeon coop. Yimae, who had unknowingly made a sound, gasped and covered her mouth.

“What are you doing there?”

But it was too late. The Black Dragon turned his head and looked beyond the weeping willow branches. The branches were so dense that Yimae’s figure was not clearly visible. Yimae curled up as much as possible. She pulled her knees as close to her chest as she could.

“The Black Dragon is right! I ate so much porridge this morning that I’m not hungry at all…”

“You’re not hungry?”

“Yes, yes! I’m going to skip dinner and just go to sleep.”

“Are you sure you said you’re not hungry?”

He asked again, as if he couldn’t believe it. This was the rabbit who had emptied the porridge pot and danced at the sound of buckwheat crepes. And that wasn’t all. The amount she ate for breakfast and dinner was so great that the soju kitchen in Yongju Palace never had a chance to turn off its lights. The palace maids in the soju kitchen would grumble among themselves, wondering if it was really the amount that two people ate.

“I’m telling you, I’m not hungry. I need to sleep, so please go back.”

“Is something wrong?”

The Black Dragon reached out to push aside the weeping willow branches. Yimae jumped up and grabbed the branches that were covering her body as if they were her lifeline.

“Ah! Stop it!”

The Black Dragon was speechless at the sight of the slender arms that suddenly popped out from between the branches. The white arms, trembling as they tightly hugged the branches, were undoubtedly those of a woman. The smooth, shimmering skin was like a magnolia flower just blooming in spring.

“Please, just leave today…”

Her frail voice was pitiful. The Black Dragon’s black eyes suddenly surged like waves. For some reason, he stretched out one of his long fingers. And he slowly stroked Yimae’s arm.

What, what are you doing? Yimae was startled, but she couldn’t move because if she let go of her arms, her naked body would be revealed. Meanwhile, the Black Dragon stroked the other arm just as slowly.

“Black Dragon?”

It was a strange feeling. If he had touched her quickly, she wouldn’t have felt this way. It was as if insects with many legs were moving along her skin and blood vessels.

Without answering, the Black Dragon stared down at the fingers that had touched Yimae. Yimae thought she saw a bloodshot look in his eyes through the branches. But she wasn’t sure because she could only see through such a small gap.

Before long, he suddenly lifted his head as if someone had hit him on the forehead. And he quickly turned his back to her and sat down.

“What happened?”

Yimae had no choice but to give the same answer she had thought of before. She desperately tried to sound calm.

“The Chaanecho I ate was too small.”

It was the same reason she had turned into a human and then quickly turned back into a rabbit. The immature Chaanecho wasn’t working properly and was playing tricks.

“That’s what happens when you pick up and eat just anything.”

I didn’t just eat anything! It was a tasting with a clear purpose! Annoyed, she was about to stomp her feet as usual when she suddenly realized that her legs had become longer. Her legs, which had suddenly become longer, were unfamiliar, so it was difficult to swing them.

“Take this.”

The Black Dragon took off the robe he was wearing. And he handed it to Yimae, trying not to look back. Yimae took the robe made of rustling, high-quality silk. The intricately embroidered dragon pattern shone in gold.

“I thought only the Black Dragon could wear it?”

“I already wore it, didn’t I?”

“Well, yes.”

Yimae took the robe and went behind the tree trunk. The Black Dragon didn’t seem to have any intention of looking back, and he didn’t move, his eyes fixed on some spot on the opposite side. It was the opposite of how he had acted when she first turned into a human. What was going on? She thought he would burn all the branches like a madman and make fun of her.

Thanks to him, Yimae was able to carefully fasten the robe.

“You can look now.”

Yimae said as she came out from behind the branches. But the Black Dragon didn’t move Yimae wondered if he had fallen asleep in that short time, so she grabbed the Black Dragon’s shoulder, which wasn’t moving at all. She shook his shoulder very slightly so that he wouldn’t notice.

“Buckwheat crepes!”

Yimae smiled broadly and took her place in front of the table. She was already extremely hungry because she had turned into a human. Her body was dozens of times larger than when she was a rabbit, so she had to eat dozens of times more to move smoothly. She excitedly picked up the spoon and chopsticks in both hands.

“Sit down quickly.”

Yimae was urging him to eat at the table as if she hadn’t prepared it herself and didn’t want him to refuse. But the Black Dragon didn’t sit down.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Yimae, who was munching on a carefully wrapped buckwheat crepe, looked up. Her bulging cheeks continued to chew incessantly.

The Black Dragon, who had been sparing his words for a long time, unexpectedly spoke.

“…I do not share a table with women.”

“So you do see me as a woman, don’t you?”

Yimae stood up, stopping in the middle of gulping down the cold soup that was served as a palate cleanser.

“Look at these legs and arms, huh?”

She wildly lifted the hem of her robe. The white skin was exposed under the rolled-up clothes. Yimae seemed to think that was okay, but the lewd Black Dragon felt a tightness in his chest even though he hadn’t eaten anything. If she was going to do that, why did she hide behind the tree and why did she put on the robe?

“But the fur of a rabbit seems to be much better. This doesn’t seem to provide any warmth.”

This time, she swirled her glossy chestnut hair around. The long, flowing hair obscured Yimae’s vision. She was making fun of him without having time to adjust to her new body, so it was only natural that her unfamiliar legs would get tangled in the robe. Yimae stepped on the ridge wrong and her ankle twisted sharply.

“Ah!”

She thought her face would be scraped on the ground, but she was floating in the air. When she slowly opened her eyes, the Black Dragon was holding her body as if she were a light load. He slowly moved Yimae under the tree and made her sit in front of him with her back to him.

“What are you doing?”

The Black Dragon broke off a weeping willow branch. He gathered Yimae’s hair together with a very delicate and careful touch. Yimae kept shrinking her neck because it was ticklish.

“Now that you’re a woman, act like a woman.”

“I’ve never learned how to do that.”

“First, tidy your hair.”

The Black Dragon began to braid Yimae’s luscious and abundant hair. He continued to smooth it with his fingers so that not a single strand was out of place, creating a braid. He wove weeping willow branches in between to make the knot strong and firm.

“And wear your clothes properly.”

The Black Dragon, who had braided her hair with excellent skill, adjusted the fit of Yimae’s robe and the shoulder line. At the same time, she felt that he was careful not to touch her body, so Yimae felt a little embarrassed.

“Does it look pretty?”

Yimae asked, touching her braided hair for no reason. When she turned around, the Black Dragon was smiling very softly.

He said quietly, as if whispering,

“Pretty.”

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