Before I End Up as Rabbit Stew - Chapter 7

“What, you don’t want to…? Get out here!”

The Black Dragon roared fiercely. But she just found the situation funny now.

Why did he suddenly become a toothless tiger like that? Yimae rolled her eyes, pretending to be innocent.

“How can I go out when it’s obvious I’ll die if I do?”

Then, the Black Dragon hurriedly put Yi Young-do back into its scabbard. And he raised both hands in the air. It was an indirect expression that he would not attack her.

“Is that enough?”

“Not at all. Do you think I don’t know you can take it out again if you want to?”

It sounded like the Black Dragon was grinding his teeth. Yimae swallowed hard for a moment, seeing his face turn blue. But the thought that the handle of victory was still in her hand remained unchanged. Yimae casually touched the lotus flower in front of her as a demonstration.

“Stop it!”

Hearing the thunderbolt that flew at once, Yimae pulled her chin and smiled. Aha, the lotus flower was the problem.

“Why? Will something terrible happen if the lotus flower gets damaged?”

She deliberately touched the lotus flowers around her one by one, as if stamping them. It was funny to see the Black Dragon’s face changing from red to blue according to Yimae’s hand movements.

The lotus flowers in the Black Dragon’s palace were certainly larger and more vibrant than other lotus flowers. Even Yimae, who was skilled at growing plants, was not confident in producing such high-quality lotus flowers. The Black Dragon seemed to be focused only on the lotus flowers, not even interested in the herb garden that had become a swamp beyond the forest.

“Are you worried that I might break off a leaf?”

“Please don’t. I beg you.”

When Yimae grabbed a blue lotus leaf, the Black Dragon uttered a desperate voice as if he would put his hands together. Yimae, who foresaw a complete victory, smiled using all the muscles in her face. She couldn’t control her expression at all.

“Then give me the robe you’re wearing now.”

“Only the Black Dragon can wear this. Can’t you see the gold leaf on it?”

“Then I’ll have no choice but to break off a lotus leaf to cover my body.”

“Here, take it!”

A robe with a beautiful dragon pattern embroidered with gold thread flew over. It was so big for Yimae that it looked like she was wearing a golden blanket. She tightened her belt as she could. What a windfall. If I leave the palace walls and go to the human world, I’ll sell it right away. At the very least, I’ll be able to get enough money to prepare a thatched-roof house.

“Looking at it, the lotus flowers are top quality, so they seem to be quite valuable.”

Yimae grabbed a flower stalk and stroked the fully bloomed flower, which was as pink as flesh.

“How about giving me one flower?”

The petals, which had been raised like tilting an egg back, were twisted by Yimae’s hand. The Black Dragon spoke as if chewing each word between his tightly closed teeth.

“Don’t, insult my mother, anymore.”

Yimae tilted her ears, which had become several times smaller than before, towards the Black Dragon as if she had misheard something.

“Mother? Where is your mother?”

Then she thought that the positions of the Four Gods were unconditionally achieved through inheritance. In other words, since the previous Black Dragon had died, he must have reigned as the Black Dragon God over all kinds of evil rumors. Besides, what did he say in the mud field a little while ago? He even uttered the outrageous remark that the Heavenly Emperor killed his mother.

Yimae felt a chill down her spine, wondering if a ghost would suddenly pop out from between the lotus petals.

“Mother is where, here?”

“The lotus flower you’re holding now.”

The Black Dragon didn’t like the look of Yimae’s hand still touching the lotus flower.

“This is your mother…?”

“It’s a flower made from plucking my mother’s reverse scale.”

You can’t touch a dragon’s reverse scale carelessly. In the first place, it’s a scale embedded upside down under the body, so it’s not easy to touch. The reverse scale contains a mixture of soul and spirit, and it’s the most delicate scale, so it’s an extremely sensitive area for the dragon.

“Plucked, what did you pluck it with…?”

“Do you want to know?”

It felt like a reverse scale that she had never had in her life was being torn off. Yimae unknowingly groped around her neck. Sharply raised senses were telling her that it was time to get out of here. Yimae put the flower down with the most careful movement possible and took a step back. The dragon’s brow, which had been furrowed like a complex seal, relaxed.

What could be more fun than the Black Dragon’s face, which growls when you touch it and relaxes when you let go? It was a little sad to have to leave this toy behind.

But Yimae was a rabbit, no, a human, who knew when to leave and had a beautiful back. She slowly put her hands behind her back.

“There’s a rumor that no one who has seen the Black Dragon God’s face has survived.”

Yimae puffed out her chest and moved forward. As long as her feet were near the lotus flower, the Black Dragon couldn’t do anything to her. The Black Dragon, who had been robbed of his clothes and was only wearing a white robe, stood still and glared at Yimae.

“I will be the first person to survive even after seeing it twice.”

Of course. Person or whatever. Aren’t I a decent person now? Yimae walked precariously between the rows of lotus flowers. She tried her best not to touch her body, so it looked like a clown was walking on a tightrope.

“You should be glad that I turned into a human just in time.”

A human’s legs were not as strong as a rabbit. Her ankles soon ached even after walking a short distance, and her knees, which her muscles couldn’t properly hold, loosened. Yimae didn’t want the Black Dragon to find out that she couldn’t run fast. She deliberately spoke with arrogance.

“If I hadn’t found the Chaanecho, I would have made a nest in this palace.”

“Did you touch the Chaanecho?”

“Did I just touch it? This rabbit’s body is weak, so I used it to nourish myself.”

Yimae, who had barely passed through the swamp, stopped in front of the bank. The Black Dragon quietly lowered his trembling eyes. His black hair, tied high in one bundle, fluttered. The silk ribbon that tied his hair captivated Yimae’s eyes.

It was a clear and smooth purple ribbon like Chaanecho, and there was a lotus arabesque ornament attached to the middle of the ribbon. How much do you like lotus flowers that you make your mother into a lotus flower and your hair tie into a lotus flower? She clicked her tongue inwardly.

“Don’t move until I cross that wall. Otherwise, I might throw up here… Oops!”

Yimae, who was crossing the boundary between the lotus swamp and the road, staggered. It took less than a few seconds to return to the furry rabbit she wanted to escape so much. The robe that covered her like a collapsed tent obscured her vision. Yimae’s nape, which was struggling wildly, was lifted up fiercely.

“Did you see me twice?”

Let go of this! Let go of this! The rabbit’s hind legs, which were flailing and whimpering, were quickly grabbed by the Black Dragon’s hand.

“I don’t remember the first time, but.”

“Let go! Let go!”

The Black Dragon grabbed the rabbit’s front paws with one hand. He untied the purple hair tie and tied the four paws of the moon rabbit tightly. Yimae struggled in every direction, but the ribbon, which looked soft, was more solid than she thought. The Black Dragon finished by inserting the arabesque ornament between his paws like shackles.

“You won’t survive the second time.”

An extremely cold voice leaked from the Black Dragon’s lips, which were raised quietly. He shook off the robe that had fallen on the floor and picked it up. And he inserted his index finger into the gap in the knot that tied the rabbit’s paws, like prey.

“Wait! Wait a minute!”

The Black Dragon walked down the road with slow but light steps. Yimae was literally shaken as if struck by thunder. Why did I turn back into a bean-sized rabbit! How am I supposed to escape now! How am I supposed to solve this!

“Black Dragon! It is said that a gentleman is generous and humble! How can you tie up a mere insignificant being like me like this?”

“Your mouth will make anyone a petty person.”

Yimae felt strange when the Black Dragon recited the words that Dongbangsak or Geumbusa used to say during the Oreum gwan period. Am I really a mouth that earns me a beating now and then?

“What are you going to do, you petty person! What are you going to do to me!”

Yimae, who earns a beating and earns more on compound interest, rubbed her paws against the arabesque ornament. The Black Dragon smiled softly and replied.

“This petty person has been physically and mentally weak lately, so I’m thinking of nourishing myself with a rabbit that rolled in on a vine.”

“What?!”

The Black Dragon pushed open the door of the pavilion with his foot. It was a pavilion attached to the eastern edge of the lotus swamp. Judging from the fact that there were quite a few large windows in the small pavilion, it seemed to have been built solely for admiring the lotus flowers. Unlike the rotting main gate, the wood here was straight and shiny.

“What… is that?”

Warm steam was rising from somewhere. The rabbit turned its head while hanging upside down. In the center of the pavilion, there was a large medicinal pot that could fit a person, boiling. The smell of steaming grass vibrated from the short, blunt snout.

“Didn’t I say I was going to boil rabbit soup?”

The Black Dragon, who never wanted to show the moon rabbit the appearance of a gentleman, replied politely. He was a petty person who just boils and eats rabbits. He lifted the cloth that had been covering the top of the medicinal pot with one hand.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, ah wait a minute!”

“I’m going to boil it thoroughly and gain strength.”

The Black Dragon drew a line with his lips as if drawing an orchid and smiled kindly, but his black eyes were extremely cold.

This is really screwed, rabbit. This is really screwed!

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