Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch30

Chapter 30

Since her reincarnation as an Arctic hare, this world had felt real to Na-bom. So it was easy to forget—but this world was a world inside a novel.

Naturally, a novel revolves around its protagonist.

Any force opposing the protagonist faces, at best, the protagonist's forgiveness and a quiet life; at worst, the entire family could be annihilated.

Having consumed quite a few works through TTS (Text-to-Speech) over the years, she'd learned one thing: while web novels may not strictly follow the principle of good triumphing over evil, they are definitely worlds where you don't cross the heroine.

So, once her adoption into the Grizzly family was confirmed, she'd have to find some way to avoid opposing the heroine.

Since my goal in this life is to live as long as possible!

Fortunately, there was still quite some time before the original story began.

The Grizzly family was mentioned in the latter half of the work. At that time, the young count of the Grizzly family, Ferdinand, was a third-year student at the Imperial Academy.

Admission to the Academy was from age sixteen. Third year meant eighteen. Currently, Ferdinand was ten. Louis was nine. She was eight, so...

The original story would begin eight years from now.

"The North is the coldest and harshest region of the Empire. But in summer, it's cooler than anywhere else."

Na-bom blinked at Heinz for a moment, then cautiously nodded.

I can't focus on the lesson.

Looking at the Empire map and listening to the explanation, it struck her anew: she had reincarnated into the world of What Was Tamed.

Being reborn as an animal, and of all things having to live as a rabbit—the weakest creature—was grim. But there was one consolation:

I can meet Einja!

What Was Tamed had been one of the more memorable romance fantasy novels she'd read. The reason was simple—the heroine was incredibly captivating.

Einja was a character who perfectly embodied the "sunshine heroine" keyword.

A warm character who made even the readers' hearts—including hers—feel happy.

She'd often been able to endure her difficult hospital life thanks to Einja. Honestly, she was grateful enough to want to say thank you in person.

...Wait.

Einja was sixteen when she first appeared. And the original story begins eight years from now.

Could it be...

Was she the same age as Einja?

Wow!

"Alright, let's stop here for today."

The moment Heinz declared the lesson over, Na-bom jumped in place.

Heinz looked down at her with a subtle expression, then gave a wry smile.

"Are you that happy? If studying is hard, tell me anytime. You have better focus than Louis—I mean, the second young master—so I tend to talk more."

Na-bom nodded again, puzzled.

Then she looked up at Heinz's face and fell into thought.

Was the old man also a character in the original story?

---

That night.

For some reason, Na-bom was in Rib's room.

The room was dark, lit only by a faint beam of moonlight.

Rib was still asleep.

Na-bom approached the bed, stood on her hind legs, and pressed her front paws against the bedsheet.

Looking at Rib's pale sleeping face, old memories surfaced like a dream.

"Mom, look at this! Mina made it for me."

When she was very young, her vocal cords and lips had worked well.

She could talk enough to chatter endlessly to her mother—who visited her hospital room every day—about her friends on the same ward, until she tired herself to sleep.

But as she grew older, her muscles wasted away.

"Mom."

She thought she'd called out with all her might, but no voice came. Later, even opening her mouth became difficult. Naturally, her mother could no longer hear Na-bom's voice.

It was painful, but she wasn't lonely.

Her mother had always been by her side. Her family visited often.

But what about Rib?

Louis seemed unable to see his mother even when he wanted to. Because of the curse that prevented her from touching those she loved.

She recalled Rib's faint but bright smile when she'd greeted her.

Surely, this woman wouldn't have cared if the curse ate away at her. What Rib worried about was whether her curse might affect her beloved husband and children.

I think I understand a little.

Her congenital illness, of course, wasn't contagious—it wouldn't spread just by touching the sick.

But even if it wasn't illness, other things could be passed on.

The unpleasant odor of the hospital ward, mixed with disinfectant and patient food. The energy of the sick. The despair visible in those without a future. The loneliness and grief of those left behind.

A person lying in a sickbed inevitably affects—more or less—those who have a present and a future.

She doesn't want the three left behind to fall into despair.

But it was so sad.

To face death alone, without seeing the faces or hearing the voices of those you love—

That was why Na-bom reached out her paw.

Toward the woman before her, fighting a unbearably lonely battle.

Just as Na-bom's paw tips were about to touch Rib's hand—

...?

Her ankle was caught by a human hand. There was no time to turn and see who it was.

"Not today."

The moment she heard the familiar male voice, Na-bom drifted into sleep.

White hands caught the rabbit as she collapsed as if fainting.

"Unconscious power truly is..."

Confirming the activation of the sleep spell, Pallas touched Na-bom's eyes and added in a murmur:

"...Frightening."

The next morning.

At the chirping of birds, Na-bom opened her eyes.

She sat up and looked around. She was on her own bed, in her now-familiar room.

Huh...

Na-bom tilted her head in puzzlement.

Had it been a dream?

---

Perhaps because Louis's mother had appeared in her dream, she wanted to see Louis.

Na-bom slipped out of her room before Anna came to find her.

She made it to Louis's door, but in her rabbit body, she couldn't open it.

My room has a separate animal door.

It must have been the door used by the Grizzly family's youngest daughter—the one who'd died. She'd died before humanizing, after all.

......

Just as Na-bom's expression darkened while looking up at the door—

"Snowflake-nim, why are you out here so early in the morning!"

Anna came running down the corridor at incredible speed, calling out.

She reached Na-bom in an instant and scooped her up.

A-as expected of a sled dog.

Her running speed was formidable.

Half-frightened, Na-bom tried to push away Anna's arms, which were hugging her small rabbit body with burning warmth.

"Hm? You were outside Young Master Louis's door."

Realizing belatedly, Anna loosened her grip slightly. Na-bom sighed and wiped her forehead.

Lately she hugs me too tightly.

Sometimes she even rubbed her cheek against Na-bom's head, making it hard to bear.

She didn't seem to be like this before everyone fell asleep.

As Na-bom stared with narrowed eyes, Anna's smile soon wavered.

"You wanted to see Young Master Louis, didn't you?"

At Anna's question, Na-bom nodded obediently.

She wanted to check if he was sleeping well. And whether his hibernation might last longer than expected—though observing a sleeping Louis wouldn't tell her that.

"Hehe. Alright, let's go see him for a moment, Snowflake-nim."

Anna chuckled with barely contained happiness and carefully opened Louis's door—so quietly that the hinges didn't even creak.

As Anna tiptoed to the bed, Louis lay sleeping in bear form.

The blanket that must have covered him had already fallen to the floor—perhaps from tossing and turning.

Watching the bear's chest rise and fall with shallow breathing, Na-bom felt oddly relieved.

"Shall we go have breakfast now?"

At Anna's whisper, Na-bom nodded quietly.

Today, humanization training began as usual.

She'd been playing with the Malamute when animalized sled dogs came running and took him away for retainer training.

Left alone, Na-bom played happily, stepping on the snow she loved so much.

......

Then, suddenly looking up, she saw the annex before her.

When had she come here again?

"...I suppose there's no help for it now."

Lady Pallas?

Pallas murmured in a resigned tone, then lifted Na-bom up.

"Don't worry. It should be fine now."

With those incomprehensible words, her vision flipped.

It was teleportation.

She arrived at Rib's room.

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