Chapter 29: Science Experiment
On Earth, sightings of hot females with rabbit ears were not uncommon. In fact, such pictures, memes, and videos trended on social media. The individuals involved were usually cosplayers, costume performers, and mascots. A contemporary man of culture from Earth might refer to a subset of them as furries.
Speaking of culture, on certain 'cultural' sites, bunny girls were the subject of lewdness and erotica. Here, however, Ethan was absolutely sure that the rabbit ears on the stranger before him were natural. They twitched, drooped, and became rigid in turns, proving they were mammalian body parts.
"What were you doing?" the white coat-clad bunny girl asked again. Her eyes were slanted at Ethan as if he was an intruder.
"I… Uh… was massaging my sister's feet," Ethan replied quickly, snapping out of his furry dreams. "You see… She lost consciousness because of exhaustion, and I figured a rub down would do her good. I'm just fulfilling my duty as a loving brother!"
Ethan didn't really have to explain himself to a stranger who barged into his personal space. However, a clarification was due since he was caught red-handed doing something weird to a sleeping girl.
The hybrid girl raised a bushy eyebrow and picked up a parchment from the bedside table. "I see! Exhaustion, huh? Her chart says otherwise."
"What does it say?" Ethan asked curiously. "And who are you anyway?" Demanding the stranger's identity was an afterthought. The boy was stuck in a conversation trap. Absolving himself from a sexual crime felt like a more pressing matter.
"I am Goldie," she replied, scrutinizing the chart. "The report says Lady Gwen got light-headed because too much blood accumulated in her torso. It was probably the first time her body experienced such trauma."
"Even her legs gave way," the bunny girl added in a suspicious tone and turned towards Ethan. "What gave you the impression that Lady Gwen was exhausted? Were you a witness to or participant in whatever happened to her body?"
At this point, Ethan realized he had to act tough while masking his guilt. "Goldie, was it?" he asked in an authoritative voice. "Are you an official of Cromwell Castle? Who let you inside the restricted zone?"
The boy was quickly reminded of the system challenge—groping a bunny tail. Did the girl have a tail in the first place? Clearly, the system prompt referred to her.
"I'm the Grand Healer, of course!" Goldie replied with a flourish. "This is my restricted zone, my privileged suite, and my patient! You are the one trespassing!"
While the boy was tongue-tied by the revelations, she added, "Judging by your gender and royal attire, you must be Count Ethan Cromwell."
The boy crossed his arms and nodded. Grand Healer, huh? He had imagined an old crone with a walking stick in the position. How did a young, attractive wereperson become the Grand Healer of Cromwell Castle?
Yes! Werepeople! The fundamental books Ethan consumed in the library spoke about them in detail. They were a pseudo-human race—half man, half animal—werewolves, cat girls, werefoxes, bunny girls, and so on. As long as you had hybrid manifestations of an animal, you were categorized as a wereperson.
"I'm sorry for breaking in," Ethan replied without yielding his composure. "I was really worried about my sister and forgot the rules in the meantime."
Goldie looked unsatisfied with the boy's answer but didn't press the matter further. Ultimately, did she have the authority to punish the Cromwell heir? No. Only the Countess herself could judge him.
"How is Gwen?" Ethan asked with a tinge of concern. "Is she really going to be okay?"
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with her!" Goldie replied with a wave of her hand. "Girls her age get light-headed all the time. She just needs better nutrition."
The boy nodded. He wasn't really interested in knowing about Gwen's condition. The real question nagging him was how the bunny girl magically appeared before him.
Goldie appeared to have read his mind. She walked around the bed and approached Ethan. She sat beside him and asked, "Count Cromwell… Have you met any werepeople before me?"
The boy developed an immediate liking for the Grand Healer. She had referred to him as 'Count' twice instead of the usual 'Young Count'. Moreover, for a five-foot girl, she looked quite desirable. She was blessed with a voluptuous body, most of which was hidden behind the white medic coat.
Ethan watched Goldie's behavior and observed that the ears drooped forward. In rabbits, this position would signal the creatures were curious. Moreover, he noticed a ball of fluff jutting out of the girl's pants on the back. It was a bunny tail!
The icing on the cake was—wide, furry, rabbit paws!
"You're the first wereperson I've come across," the boy replied, barely controlling his excitement. "Mother has always kept me protected from the outside world because of my rare condition. In fact, I met elves for the first time only a few days ago."
Goldie's curious eyes were locked on Ethan, making him uncomfortable. "A fertile male is indeed a wonder of nature," she said as if watching an endangered animal in the wild. "I assume you recently came of age? Have you had any sexual experience yet?"
Ethan gulped nervously. Gwen had suddenly been forgotten, and he had become the subject, which was inconvenient. The Grand Healer appeared to be intelligent and incisive. What if she figured out he was not the real Cromwell heir?
"Yes, but only once with an elf," the boy lied. "That too under Captain Joan's supervision. It was to prevent the onset of the devil's curse."
Naturally, Ethan left out the mention of his thrilling activities with Gwen and Hilda.
"I am fascinated by the chaste devil's curse," Goldie said, blinking her beady eyes enthusiastically. "Would you be interested in participating in an experiment?"
Ethan furrowed his brows. "What do you mean? What kind of experiment?"
"An experiment under controlled conditions, during which we trigger the devil's curse within you."
"What?" the boy exclaimed, getting to his feet. "Why the hell would I risk my life like that? Didn't you read the news about the fertile trader who turned to stone?"
The bunny girl shook her head, making her ears flail like braided hair. "Only the scary symptoms make the news. I have read research papers on the devil's curse everywhere in Promiscua. The curse is not necessarily fatal for all."
"In rare cases, the symptoms can be harmless and even reversible. For example, a certain fertile farmer grew reptilian scales on his body. They reverted to skin as long as he was pleasured within fifteen minutes. Aren't you even a bit curious about your curse transformation potential?"
Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. Mother will never agree to such an arrangement."
Goldie shifted closer to the boy, and her paw found his hand. "It can be our little secret… I will be very, very careful…"
The boy couldn't help but enjoy the rabbit paw's touch. It was furry, warm, and soft—a rare sensation that only a sensuous miracle of nature could provide.
Ethan raised his gaze and looked into the bunny girl's blue eyes. They were so beautiful he could stare for hours. "Suppose I take your proposal into consideration. What do I get in return?"
According to his assessment, Goldie was clearly a mad scientist, regardless of her furry origins. At least, he could gain something by tapping her obsessive needs.
The Grand Healer slowly rose from her seat and fixed her coat. She cleared her throat as if about to give a lecture. "Count Cromwell… Did you think you could blackmail me in exchange for experiments on your body?"
Ethan panicked and jumped to his feet. He didn't expect the situation to go sideways so quickly. "I didn't mean—"
"—then you are right," Goldie cut him off, joining her paws together in prayer. "I will do anything and everything for a chance to tinker with your rare constitution! Please give me the opportunity!"
The boy's jaw dropped and was left hanging. He had expected a confrontation, as his luck had been rotten since he landed in Promiscua. However, this was the first time someone had offered him a freebie.
"You can touch and feel my patients' feet if that's what you like," Goldie offered without emotion.
"I don't—" Ethan began, but thought against it. At this juncture, explaining that he didn't really have a foot fetish would be pointless.
"I have two conditions," the boy declared. "If you fulfill them, I will consider having this conversation again."
The bunny girl's ears stood tall, indicating she was alert and excited. "Anything! Name the conditions, and I'll make them happen!"
"First, tell me how you magically appeared before me. The room was locked, and so were the windows."
"And the second?"
Ethan licked his lips and pointed at the wagging ball of fluff on Goldie's shapely behind. "Let me touch your tail."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone