Gaffer was the first to recognize who she was.
The moment his eyes met hers, recognition struck.
Those purple, deep, unmistakable eyes belonged to someone he knew. No matter the form, no matter the body she wore, they were eyes he had come to know and would never forget.
Then there was her hair, silvery white and flowing. And that unreal, porcelain skin. It was his little white rabbit wife!
But what truly confirmed it were the marks just beneath the oversized black shirt she wore.
As she walked, the fabric shifted and with every step, the edges of the shirt lifted just enough to reveal on both sides of her thighs, a half-hidden, half-exposed flower-star-like scars. The same the rabbit had.
Gaffer knew then.
This was the little white rabbit. Linda.
He said nothing.
Linda kept walking toward them. Gaffer watched her closely with his usual unreadable expression.
If anything, he had suspicions that she would be drawn to the looks of Scarlett. This made his heart still.
After all, Scarlett was an anaconda. The largest snake in existence, and the deadliest.
Scarlett's presence alone was intoxicating and dangerous in the way poison was beautiful. His eyes were especially lethal: one the cold blue of an endless frozen sea, the other a wild, gleaming emerald.
Just meeting his gaze could enthrall most women. Even men found themselves favoring him without meaning to.
By all logic, Linda should have gone to him.
But Linda walked past Scarlett and stopped beside Gaffer. Then she sat.
Scarlett froze.
Shock flickered openly across his face. It was so clear he couldn't hide it and couldn't even pretend composure. Did someone just walk past without sparing him a glance?
Gaffer, on the other hand, remained still. His expression barely changed, though something subtle passed through his eyes.
Scarlett let out a breathless laugh, staring between them.
"Oh… wow," he said slowly. "Wow, wow, wow."
He leaned back, still staring at Linda as if she were a revelation. "You've got yourself a girl," he said, his voice edged with disbelief. "And not just any girl but one who's loyal to you to this extent."
Linda sat quietly at Gaffer's side, close enough that her sleeve brushed his arm.
Scarlett noticed immediately the way she sat at Gaffer's side and the way the light in Gaffer's eyes shifted.
That alone stirred something sour in his chest.
It wasn't jealousy because his best friend was finally happy. Or maybe it was.
Even Gaffer's former wife couldn't compare to the girl beside him now. The girl was smaller than the average beast-woman, almost delicate, as if she had only just stepped into adulthood. Yet her presence was overwhelming.
Scarlett's thoughts turned bitter.
And as always, his mouth spoke before his mind could restrain it.
"So, brother," he said lazily, smirking, "it's finally good to see you indulge a little. At least your taste has improved. She's far better to look at than that ugly rabbit wife of yours. I bet the rabbit doesn't even have a human form."
Linda's eyes widened. 'Ugly rabbit!'
That was what he was calling her.
Anger flared hot in her chest. She wanted to snap back but she couldn't. Ever since she had transformed, she hadn't been able to speak. Just like in her rabbit form.
So she swallowed and endured it in silence.
Gaffer said nothing but, his attention shifted fully to her.
He lifted his hand and started using his long fingers to gently comb through her silvery hair. He clearly liked the feel of it.
Linda stiffened at first when he touched her, then she slowly relaxed.
She leaned slightly into his shoulder without realizing it. The warmth was familiar and comforting. There was no difference from when she curled against him as a rabbit.
Scarlett scowled.
The silence between them irritated him.
"You know," Scarlett continued, unable to stop himself, "that rabbit isn't worth your time. With a woman like this at your side, who would dare complain? She could give you beautiful children. Your son would adore her."
Linda's hands curled into fists.
"And besides," he went on, "they say that rabbit is a beast guardian. But who cares? You could forget the rabbit entirely as you have such a pretty beast-woman by your side now."
That was the final straw.
"Perhaps," Scarlett added lightly, "you could even turn the rabbit into stew. Ugly beast food. Change the marriage contract with the rabbit paw and sign a new one with this woman by your side. Simple."
**Bang!**
Linda slammed her palm against the table and stood.
Her entire body trembled with fury.
She pointed straight at Scarlett, her finger shaking, her eyes blazing with every word she wished she could say.
Scarlett blinked, startled. "What's wrong with her?"
Gaffer finally moved.
His gaze turned glacial as he rose slowly to his feet.
"I once believed you had the sharpest eyes in the Scales Tribe," he said coldly. "But Commander Scarlett, bear witness."
He gestured to Linda.
"This," he said, voice firm, unmistakable, "is the 'ugly rabbit' you keep referring to."
Scarlett froze.
He stared at her. Then pointed.
"You?" His mouth fell open. "You're the rabbit?"
Linda crossed her arms and sighed heavily. Her expression was flat with offense.
Scarlett swallowed, then laughed awkwardly. "Ah… I didn't realize. My apologies—"
"Enough," Gaffer cut in. He turned fully toward Scarlett now. "You will leave because my little rabbit needs to eat now."
Scarlett stiffened. "You're chasing me out? You never sent me away before, even when others were present. We eat from the same table."
Gaffer's eyes sharpened. "Leave. Or do you prefer demotion?"
That hit its mark.
Scarlett recoiled, wounded and furious. He hadn't meant it like that. He was just jealous. Jealous that a real woman existed. Jealous that she wasn't drawn to him. Jealous that Gaffer had something he didn't.
"You're heartless," Scarlett spat.
Then he turned and stormed out.