Linda couldn't tell how long it was, but after she was abducted by that green vicious dragon and in the process of finally transforming into her human form midair, she had suddenly lost consciousness due to exhaustion and has been asleep.
Somehow in her sleep, she could hear what was going on around her and feel too.
Thanks to this, she knew she was not in the stomach of a beast.
She heard servants speaking as such as they went about their jobs. She heard them snicker and gossip around her most times. The central of their topic was probably the owner of wherever she was.
She heard them say "the master" a few times and most times often, "His majesty."
When her eyes finally opened, she found herself in an enormous house. It was a human structure, a luxuriously built one, yet there was something cryptic about it.
The room she lay in felt like a house on its own. Everything was taller. The mirrors were long—very thin, yet towering. The bed was wider and longer than any she had seen. It felt like a hall made for humans, and at the same time, a bedroom meant for giants.
Linda noticed she was back in her rabbit form again.
But she didn't see it as a problem.
If she had more access to carrots, she could transform into her human form whenever she wanted. At least, that was what she believed for now.
She hopped toward the window, moving lightly to its side. No one was in the room; it was just her, with the door closed and the window slightly open.
Sunlight spilled through, warm but not hot, carried by a gentle breeze.
She didn't feel trapped or captured. In that moment, she felt safe.
Looking down from the window, she saw two kinds of gardens. One was overrun with wild, weedy plants. The other was filled with fresh plants, though still tangled with weeds. Perhaps the people of the beast world didn't even understand the value of what could grow there.
She sighed.
Just as she was about to hop back to the bed, a chill ran down Linda's spine. She stiffened.
Gaffer… he's close!
She became instinctively aware of the presence of the king dragon who had saved her—for reasons she still didn't understand.
He was here!
Linda already knew that much.
The entire room suddenly carried his presence: Gaffer's aura and scent.
She was still angry with him, thinking back to the time he had ordered others to stew her, and to the fact that he hadn't come looking for her sooner, leaving her to fend for herself in the wild. She knew she was being petty, but she couldn't help it.
So she turned her back to the room and faced the window instead, standing by the pane and forcing herself to ignore Gaffer's presence.
Meanwhile, the king dragon—over a thousand years old—stood by the door, having just entered after hearing that the little rabbit had awakened.
The warmth on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by an expression as dark as night. Uncontrollable rage surged through him. Because from the way the small white rabbit stood at the window, she looked as though she was about to leap out.
'Is she trying to run away from me again?'
At the same time, Scliff, Gaffer's right-hand man, had just transformed into his human form. Green dragon scales still clung to his elbows and ankles, clear evidence that he was the one who abducted the little rabbit earlier.
He rolled his eyes.
'Such an ungrateful little rabbit,' he thought. 'The Master saved her life. She was in real danger out there, and now she wants to throw herself out of a window because she thinks she's special or something.'
Ever since this little rabbit had appeared in his master's life, neither his master's nor the young master's days had been peaceful.
Even they—the brothers and servants of the Master and the young Master—had not known an easy moment. From tending to a low beast like her to searching the wilds for her, trouble followed wherever she went.
And now, she was making the Master angry.
Perhaps the little rabbit's talent was provoking everyone around her.
Scliff sighed inwardly. 'This time, I only hope the Master will redirect his anger into teaching this little rabbit a proper lesson."
"Come to me, little white."
Gaffer, still at the entrance of the room, stretched his arms wide and went down on one knee, holding his hand out to her.
When Linda heard the command, she couldn't move. Her body froze.
Even though she had wanted to be stubborn, though she had decided she had every right to be angry, even petty-angry, something in Gaffer's tone told her that he was the one truly angry instead.
For reasons she didn't understand, that realization unsettled her.
Still, if she wanted to remain in this beautiful, luxurious suite instead of being dragged out into the sun by a group of men she barely knew—men who would surely exhaust her, handsome or not, and certainly wouldn't carry her—then she had no choice but to comply.
Linda turned around, hopped down from the window pane, and slowly made her way toward Gaffer.
When she reached him, she leaped into his hands without hesitation.
She didn't stop to wonder what would happen if he failed to catch her. With blind faith, she jumped. And he caught her easily.
He wrapped his arms around her, then gave her rabbit tail a squeeze, a sly smirk tugging at his lips.
Linda stiffened.
She couldn't help thinking that this felt like an assault…. after all, a rabbit's tail was the equivalent of a human's backside. It was like a man squeezing a girl's butt.
And yet… she couldn't deny that she liked the possessiveness in his touch.
Before now, she had only known him as someone warm, someone who opened his arms gently, slowly getting to know you, easing into friendship. But this was different.
His arms were open now in a way that left no room for refusal. This wasn't an invitation.
It was coercion.
But she wasn't composed at all. If this was uncomfortable for her, then what about him? She was still just a rabbit.
Wasn't he curious? Surely by now, after all the tests, he must have known she was a woman. Wasn't he uncomfortable? Didn't he want to see her transform, to see her as a woman instead?
Her thoughts spiraled, until Linda suddenly snapped back to reality.
When she did, she realized he was no longer standing at the entrance.
He was on the bed now, lying down while still holding her against him. His eyes were closed.
'Was he asleep?'