"Your highness, here are the fruits you ask."
"Just put them on that table."
The servant placed a plate of small bites of fruits on the table and gazed at the crown prince.
He just stared at the future king without saying anything.
"Is there anything you want to say?"
Alberu asked the quiet servant but his eyes was looking at the document in his hand.
"I've never heard that you've a pet, your highness. That's a really cute rabbit."
The servant smiled innocently.
There's a small bunny on Alberu's table work.
It was sleeping peacefully beside the stack of paperworks.
"...yes. My pet bunny is indeed adorable."
The crown prince paused for a second before forming an elegant smile on his handsome face.
The sleeping bunny's ear twitched at the word 'pet'.
The servant bowed his head as he excused himself. He had seen how the future king had looked at his bunny with a warm gaze.
'I will bring more fruits for the bunny.'
He walked to the kitchen with a happy smile on his face.
Meanwhile Alberu was laughing in his office room.
'Seriously? Me? Your pet?'
Cale the bunny was staring at him with menacing yet cute eyes. He has a dissatisfied expression on his bunny face.
He was crossing his little arms while tapping the table with his foot.
Alberu stared at the small bunny.
He knew what Cale was thinking about.
"Don't look at me like that. You're the one who didn't want to stay put in my pocket. And it's not like I can tell him that this small adorable bunny is the Supreme Commander Cale Henituse, our Roan Kingdom's precious treasure."
Cale frowned even more at Alberu's response.
Your Highness, you mean 'Former' Commander.
I'm a commander no more.
Cale stared at Alberu's pocket at his chest.
It's too stuffy inside there for him.
It's uncomfortable.
'Is it because my bum is too big?'
Cale tried to turn his head to look at his back.
He couldn't see much but he didn't think it was that big.
He then looked back at Alberu who seemed confused by Cale's behaviour.
Point.
Cale pointed his paw at Alberu's pocket.
'It's your fault. You should wear clothes with larger pocket.'
Alberu was still in confusion as he tapped the bunny's paw with his finger.
"Dongsaeng... There's so much work to do."
The crown prince grumbled about his never ending paperworks at the small bunny.
"You see this mountain of paperworks, dongsaeng?"
He patted the paperworks.
"Half of these are because of you."
And the others too.
Alberu thought about Cale's people who also as vicious as his dongsaeng.
They cause troubles anywhere they go.
Bring back worthful information.
Give them to Alberu and make him does all the penwork.
"Sigh...."
He opened his palm and moved his face closer to the bunny.
The bunny didn't flinch and just stared deeply at those blue eyes.
'What?'
The confused Cale tilted his head as he placed his paw on Alberu's nose.
He actually wanted to push Alberu's face away from him but Alberu's genuine happy face made him changed his mind.
"Please put your paw right here, dongsaeng."
Alberu pointed to his opened palm as he smiled warmly.
Cale just followed Alberu's wish and placed his small soft paw on top of Alberu's palm.
'Fluffy and soft.'
Alberu buried his face on the table.
He squeezed Cale's paw gently as to not hurt him.
"Ah...I feel like all of my stress has being washed away."
He blurted out his thought that made Cale frowned.
'Does he thinks I'm an emotional support animal?' What the....'
Cale felt like his dignity as a normal human being fades away.
He punched Alberu's arm but the latter didn't even flinch.
Alberu held up his face and saw a cute bunny that looked furious yet adorable.
He smiled at Cale slyly.
"I hope I understand what you're trying to say, Cale."
No.
Maybe he didn't really need to know.
Cale probably cursing in his mind right now.
'Fuck this fucking curse! I want to fucking burn that damn tree!'
The more Cale thinks about how people around him treat him like a bunny, the more angry he becomes.
- Yeah! That's the spirit Cale!
- Don't worry Cale. There's nothing you can't do! Even...even in this cute body!
- Go Cale! But don't hurt yourself please!
The chaotic ancient powers that kept encouraging him in his mind also made him annoyed.
Pak!
Pak!
Pak!
Cale kicked Alberu's hand with his leg.
The kicks didn't hurt Alberu but he was quite sad about it.
"Don't do that, Cale. You need to be a good bunn-Ouch!"
Cale finally snapped as he bit Alberu's finger. There's no blood but he could see the teeth mark left by the bunny.
"Cale, what-"
Alberu paused as he noticed Cale's eyes.
That cold and sharp gaze.
'I am Cale Henituse. A human being. Remember that.'
Yet there's some warmth and softness in that gaze.
No matter what forms he takes, Cale is still Cale.
"Haa...My bad. I'm sorry, dongsaeng."
Alberu smiled became softer as he tried to pull his hand away from Cale.
However, Cale swiftly reached his paws towards Alberu's finger that had been bitten by him.
He rubbed the place where he had bitten with his small paws gently.
'Wow...I didn't mean to leave a teeth mark here...'
He was shocked by his own biting strength.
Fortunately, Alberu didn't seem to get angry about it.
He stares at the tiny bunny who was patting his finger.
'Ah...I feel healed...'
Alberu closed his eyes tightly.
He felt like the small pain from the bunny bite was gone.
It's healing.
Cale patted Alberu's finger several times before hearing Raon's quite yet excited voice.
The dragon just teleported from the Harris Village to the crown prince's office.
He appeared as he realised there's no one else in the office besides Cale and Alberu.
He then spoke in a cheerful tone.
"Human! Look! Goldie gramps told me to show you this video! We recorded it together with noona and hyung this morning!"
'Hmm? Video?'
Cale stared at Raon whose wings were fluttering happily. The dragon placed a video recording device in front of Cale and Alberu.
"I will start the video now!"
Raon said energetically after seeing the bunny nodded his head.
[ "Has you started recording, nya?"
"Yeah!"
"Cale! Can you hear us, nya? ....Why didn't he respond? I can't even see his face, nya."
"Hong, I don't think that's how recording device works..."
"Oh! Really?"]
'Ah...'
Cale's reddish brown eyes widened a little as he could see two kittens in the video.
Though he couldn't clearly see On because Hong has already filled the orb with his own face.
[ On calmly pushed Hong's face away gently to stop him from covering her.
"Move a little, Hong. I also want Cale to see my face, nya."
"Alright, noona! Since I love you, I shall shares some of the spaces with you!"
On sighed before patting the red kitten's head. ]
Cale smiled softly at that sight.
'Hah, he must has learnt to speak that way from Raon.'
Cale and Alberu continued to watch the video.
[ Hong backed off a little.
"Umm, hello, young master-nim!"]
Cale didn't notice this earlier, but now Hong has moved back, he could see a tall young wolf boy behind the two kittens.
He looked like he was hesitating to speak.
[ "I- I already heard the whole story from Choi Han hyung after I woke up...and..and.. I'm really sorry for hurting you...."
Lock bowed his head so much that the others couldn't see his sad expression.
He felt very angry and disappointed with himself.
"I'm still far from being the most suitable heir for the Wolf King. I can't even control my own desire... I'm very sorry..."
Lock clenched his fist so hard.
He couldn't forgive himself for almost killed the young master who had given so much to him and his siblings.
"We also very sorry Cale, nya..."
"Yeah...we didn't mean to scratch you, nya... We are not good children...Sorry..."
The two kittens also spoke quietly as they felt so bad for what they've done to Cale.]
'What? It's not your fault... No need to apologize. It's that damn cursed tree's fault.'
Cale shook his head since he didn't like how the children kept blaming themselves for something that's clearly not their faults.
[ "It's not you guys' faults! This all happened because of that damn tree that cursed the human!"
Raon who was not in the video as he was the one recording it, spoke in a loud voice.
"Right. It's not like you can control something that's caused by a curse."
Eruhaben who can also be seen sitting from a far interrupted the children.
He was reading an ancient book.
He probably tried to find something about the ancient curse.
"Yeah! And human wouldn't like it if you keep blaming yourselves! I know because I understand human the best!"
The video shook violently since Raon probably kept shaking the video recording device while puffing his chest and fluttering his wings.]
Cale made a soft chuckle sound upon hearing Raon's words.
The black dragon really knows much about his human.
[ On nodded her head at Raon's remark. She then opened her mouth slowly to speak.
"...I hope that we can meet sooner... Don't be in that bunny form for too long."
"Yeah! I want to sleep with you again like how we used to every night, nya!"
"Yeah...you patting us with your bunny paw is different from you patting us with your hand."
On patted Hong's head as she said that.
"I prefer the usual warmth from your hand."
"Me too, nya."
The two kittens pouted at the thought of not having to meet Cale in a quite long period of time.
Raon suddenly chimed in with his usual loud voice.
"Human! I might not be in the video but you can hear my voice right? I just want to let you know that I also love it when you pet my head! So I, the great and mighty Raon Miru with Goldie gramps will quickly find a way to break the curse! Oh! And smart Rosalyn also helping us!"
Eruhaben who has been quiet for some time, walked towards the orb and grabbed it.
"Don't shake the device while you're recording, little kid. Or else the video will not come out nicely."
"Hmph! I know! I can do it myself, Goldie gramps!"]
Even without seeing the black dragon's face, Cale knew that Raon was pouting.
The bunny then looked at the floating dragon that was smiling awkwardly beside him.
"Hehe. The video shakes a little but it come out quite nice, right human?"
'Yeah. Yeah.'
Cale nodded his head, making the black dragon smiled brightly.
[ "And don't worry about us. We are totally fine! Take care of yourself first, okay?"
"Right, nya! Your situation is the most dangerous now! Don't get hurt, nya!"
The two kittens nagged Cale energetically. ]
'Aigoo...my poor life...'
Cale started to frown at the kittens' words as his long ears slumped down.
Alberu who just simply watched Cale's reaction towards his children's video, stifled his laugh.
Watching how Cale's ears flopped down and pouted his tiny mouth as he frowned made the crown prince's heart tickled.
It's an adorable sight..
[ "Young master-nim, I will get even stronger so that I can control myself and not lose to some curses!"
Lock tapped his chest as his eyes sparkled.
"Yes! Me too, nya! The moment you come back to meet us, I will be the Super Duper Hong!"
"Oh! That's a nice name, hyung!"
"I know, right, nya!"
On just smiled warmly and waved her paw.
"Bye, Cale. Take good care of yourself."
"Goodbye, Cale, nya!"
"See you again, young master!"]
The video ended.
Cale just smiled and glanced at the proud black dragon.
"Hehe! Are you happy, human? We will make lots of videos if you want!"
Raon's wings fluttered happily as he rubbed his chubby cheek against Cale.
Since Cale couldn't say anything in response, he just caressed Raon's round head.
He was happy.
Then, Raon noticed a plate of fruits on the fancy table and started to fly towards it.
"Oh! Fruits!"
He picked up a small grape and put it in his mouth.
Cale stared at the dragon.
He actually wanted to eat the fruits too.
He hopped closer towards the side of the table work and looked down.
His heart started to beat faster.
'...Can I really jump down from here? Wouldn't I get hurt?'
I should at least can jump from four feet height, right?
As Cale was about to jumped down, someone grabbed his petite body quickly yet as gentle as possible.
But for Cale, he felt like his heart was about to burst out in shocked.
'OH SHIT-'
"EEEKK!!"
"Hey! Are you crazy?! Do you want to hurt yourself so bad??"
Cale opened his eyes, and Alberu was grabbing him as he stared at him with a deep frown on his face.
'w-what?'
Alberu could see a confused look on the bunny's face and it made him quite annoyed.
"Seriously...you always try to put yourself in danger no matter what..."
'what danger?'
Cale continued to look at Alberu in confusion which made the crown prince sighed in disbelief.
Alberu made eye contact with Cale's reddish brown eyes and decided to put him inside his pocket.
'Woah–'
Cale was forced into the pocket.
Only his head was showing from the pocket.
'Fuh! What the hell? I told you it's stuffy in here!'
Cale tried his best to get out but Alberu didn't even bother and kept pushing Cale's head back into the pocket.
"Just stay still. I will carry you to the table."
'.....'
Cale finally sat still inside Alberu's pocket.
He also let out his tiny arms because his body is quite round to fit perfectly inside the pocket.
Alberu arrived and placed Cale gently on the table.
"Wait here. I will change my clothes to the one that has larger pocket."
Cale just stared at Alberu with an expressionless face.
'Why bother? Just don't put me in your pocket.'
He really didn't understand why Alberu wanted to change to other clothes just so he can carry Cale in his pocket.
"...human."
'Hmm? What's with him now?'
"I may do not have a pocket but I can always carry you on my back!"
Raon gave Cale a tiny grape as he said that.
His eyes was burning energetically.
'Well, okay.'
Cale just ignored Raon and started chewing the tiny fruits
As Cale was enjoying the fruits, suddenly someone burst open the door.
It was naturally the crown prince himself.
BAM!
Cale was shocked as he accidentally squished the grape in his paw too hard that the juice came out and wetted his face.
'Ughh... it's sticky...'
As he was about to rub his face, Alberu quickly wiped the bunny's face gently with a handkerchief.
"I'm sorry for surprising you. I just... almost forget that today, there's important guests that will come to meet me to discuss about something."
Alberu was too excited to spend his work day with Cale that he almost forget about those guests.
'Well, it's fine. Raon's here with me. Bye.'
Cale nodded his head and waved a goodbye to the crown prince.
Alberu stared at Cale and spoked as he smiled slyly.
"What are you waving your tiny paw for?"
He then picked up Cale and put him into the larger pocket of his clothes.
"You're coming with me."
'W-what???'
Cale had a worried look on his face as he watched the calm crown prince.
"Don't worry. The guests are someone you know and quite close with."
'Hmm?'
"Human! It's them!"
Alberu looked at the bunny's reddish brown eyes and said in a low voice.
"The royals of the ocean are here."
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