Before I End Up as Rabbit Stew - Chapter 24

Something’s wrong with Black Dragon.

On the fourth day of living as a human, Yimae thought as she stared at the palace gate. Black Dragon didn’t come inside but sat leaning against the gate.

Since yesterday, only Yimae’s meals had been delivered over the threshold, morning and evening. It seemed Black Dragon really wouldn’t share a table with her while she was in human form. He didn’t nap in the willow tree, nor did he meddle in the garden work. When she was a rabbit, he would watch her sleep, bothering her ears and tail, but that had stopped completely.

But that could simply be because Yimae’s sleeping place had changed. She used to curl up and sleep in a bamboo basket, but when she transformed into a human, she slept in the Suyeon Hall. It was because Black Dragon insisted.

‘Since you have to watch over the garden anyway, just give me a thick blanket…’

‘No. Sleep in the Suyeon Hall.’

‘Why? I’m comfortable in my own palace.’

‘It’s uncomfortable for me there.’

What could be so uncomfortable when he didn’t even come inside?

When it came to the quality of sleep, the Suyeon Hall was definitely better than the pigeon coop. At least in the Suyeon Hall, she could stretch her arms and legs as much as she wanted. But the place was solemn and sacred, like a shrine, which made her uneasy. She felt like she had to be extremely careful with her behavior. Moreover, she felt even more burdened when she learned that the royal guards took turns standing watch all night while she slept.

‘They consider you my hand, so it’s natural for them to guard you.’

‘You never guarded the pigeon coop before, did you?’

‘Who said I didn’t guard it?’

He even brought clothes and shoes to the Suyeon Hall. After a few days, it felt more like home than the pigeon coop. The newly laid bedding in one corner of the Suyeon Hall was a clean white.

Yimae, who was watering the garden with a watering can, stretched her stiff back. The thick branches of the willow tree caught her eye. It was the branch where Black Dragon always climbed to take a nap. She suddenly turned her head. Black Dragon’s long hair, swaying gently, was visible through the crack in the door.

“He’s just staying there, so I can’t even dig a pit.”

Yimae subtly kicked the board covering the pit. It was the pit she had been digging ever since she came to the palace to trap Black Dragon. Well, would she even want to trap him now? Black Dragon seemed about to turn around, so Yimae quickly averted her gaze. Black Dragon only moved slightly to prop up one leg and didn’t look at Yimae.

Yimae, who continued to pretend to water with the watering can, spoke first.

“Look, they’ve come back to life, haven’t they?”

She was so happy to see the garden soaked when she woke up that morning, not expecting to have to carry water from morning to night. Yimae transplanted the seedlings she had kept in the lotus pond into the garden. The seedlings quickly adapted to the new garden and took root.

“They’ve come back to life.”

Black Dragon glanced at the garden and then averted his gaze.

“Did you even look properly?”

“I looked.”

At this point, Yimae began to worry if she had done something wrong. Of course, hitting him in the solar plexus was definitely wrong, but if you looked at the cause, Black Dragon had brought it all on himself. The thought of him gnawing on her palm with his lips made her stomach tingle.

“You have to feed the black wild strawberries peaches when they’ve grown a bit.”

She would be able to harvest the Maxnaria if she continued to care for it with such devotion. But the black wild strawberries were different. She had to sprinkle the sacred peaches from the Ban-do Garden as fertilizer before their roots became too abundant.

Kunlun Mountain in the Immortal Realm, where the Ban-do Garden was located, was ruled by the Queen Mother of the West. From ancient times, the Immortal Realm and the Celestial Realm had not been on good terms, so the gods of the Celestial Realm could not freely enter the Immortal Realm. Unless they personally sought permission from the Queen Mother of the West, an unannounced visit would be considered an act of invasion.

Moreover, how precious were those Ban-do Garden peaches, the immortal peaches? They were precious fruits that even the Celestial Emperor, who created the Three Realms, only received once every few years, with the power to purify the body and enhance spiritual power. The effect was doubled when immortals ate them. The process of bringing them would not be easy.

“Are you listening?”

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday?”

I’m telling you again because you don’t seem to be listening properly! Yimae felt a surge of anger. She felt like she needed to know the clear reason why he was acting like this.

“Why on earth…”

Yimae walked quickly across the garden, intending to question him. But the head of the royal guards was one step ahead. He came to Black Dragon with a small, rolled-up letter.

“A personal letter from Suzaku Palace.”

Yimae’s eyes widened at the word Suzaku. She leaned over Black Dragon, who was unfolding the letter, peering at it.

“What does it say? What does it say?”

“You’re casting a shadow.”

Black Dragon quickly unfolded the letter as Yimae stepped aside, read it, and then returned it to the head of the royal guards.

“Is this really the only way?”

Black Dragon frowned deeply. The head of the royal guards carefully placed the letter in his pocket and quietly replied.

“Considering the practical benefits, this method is deemed appropriate.”

“I know, but still…”

Black Dragon pressed his eyebrows as if he had a headache.

“What is it? What is it!”

The head of the royal guards’ hand twitched slightly. He looked like he wanted to shut Yimae’s mouth for daring to raise her voice when Black Dragon was in such distress. Yimae didn’t give in and shouted again.

“What is it! Did the rumors in Bipamung finally spread?”

Black Dragon vaguely remembered what had happened in Bipamung. Naturally, it was Yimae’s job to fill in the gaps. Yimae would giggle, saying that she had sold everything that had been sold to the White Tiger and Suzaku, but she seemed afraid that the innkeeper and the guests downstairs would spread strange rumors.

Black Dragon sighed softly and looked up at the head of the royal guards.

“Send word that I will proceed as planned.”

“Yes.”

“What should we do about the enclosure?”

“I will discuss it with the royal guards. If we open only the main palace and the main hall, there should be no major problems.”

Open? Yimae couldn’t understand the conversation at all. After the head of the royal guards respectfully withdrew, she pressed Black Dragon.

“What do you mean by opening? Who’s coming?”

Black Dragon didn’t answer and just looked at Yimae closely. It had been a long time since she had received his gaze so directly, and Yimae forgot her urging.

He sighed a few more times. Yimae also became serious as she listened. Did something bad happen?

“This has become troublesome.”

He looked genuinely tired. Yimae followed him as he got up and walked away, chattering.

“What’s troublesome? Why won’t you tell me!”

After getting angry, Yimae collapsed on the ground. Her body was weaker than a sorghum stalk! Yimae’s frustration increased.

“Let me see.”

Black Dragon, who hadn’t even glanced at the seedlings she had struggled to bring, came over and examined her ankles in detail. Yimae grabbed his wrist.

“What did I do wrong?”

She had a rather angry look for someone asking what she had done wrong. Black Dragon tried to pull his wrist away, but when he saw that Yimae’s center of gravity was shifting towards him, he let it go.

“It’s not that.”

Yes, even if someone did something wrong, it was you. Just thinking about the trouble she had gone through that day still made Yimae break out in a cold sweat. She grumbled.

“Then what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Many guests will be coming to the palace, so it’s best not to wander around during that time.”

Yimae was speechless for a moment. She blinked blankly and then asked again as if she had misheard.

“Many guests are coming?”

“Yes, most of them are guests from the Celestial Realm, so don’t be conspicuous.”

“Guests are coming…?”

Black Dragon seemed a little embarrassed to tell her not to wander around or be conspicuous. His voice was calm and cold, but he couldn’t meet her eyes.

But Yimae was shocked by something completely different. She hesitated and pointed to the muddy area.

“Here…?”

Inviting guests with this dirty mess? Unless he was crazy, who would he show this rotten garden to? It could be the biggest disgrace since the creation of Black Dragon Palace.

“That…?”

Yimae had a look on her face that said she couldn’t understand it at all. Black Dragon cleared his throat loudly and stood up.

“We’ll only be hosting them in the Yongju Hall, so there’s no need to show them that.”

“It’s not like you’re going to imprison the guests, are you? Will they just stay nicely in the Yongju Hall?”

Yimae scurried to catch up with Black Dragon, who was walking ahead. Black Dragon slowly adjusted his pace to match hers.

“And why suddenly have guests at a time like this?”

Weren’t you trying to grow the seedlings quickly and complete the magic potion? Yimae couldn’t understand Black Dragon’s intentions at all.

“But if guests from the Celestial Realm are coming, will the White Tiger and Suzaku also come?”

Black Dragon suddenly stopped walking. The corners of his eyes were slightly furrowed as he looked at Yimae.

“Would you like them to come?”

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