Chapter – 04
A scorching heat and dizziness washed over her simultaneously. Yet, she struggled to raise her ailing body, striving to run to him. But the densely packed iron bars cruelly constricted her.
“Beep! Beep!”
A sorrowful voice echoed.
“Beeeep—!”
‘Why are you doing this to me? I lived quietly! I won’t ever make a wish again.’
“Beep, beep.”
‘I’ll live quietly in the annex, as if dead. I’m fine with the food and clothes. I’ll just live quietly, staying out of sight.’
As if her sorrow had burst forth, her voice grew louder.
Unfortunately, however, the one who could hear her voice had already disappeared. Despite her continuous pleas for salvation, Securus did not return, and Fontana did not show his face either.
Finally, the thin thread remaining in her heart snapped with a *pop*.
“Beep.”
‘Please save me, I was wrong…… If you really abandon me, I’ll spend my whole life…’
…hating you.
“Do you think hating will change anything?”
Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Solitarie’s eyes widened.
“Beep…?”
“What’s with that stupid expression.”
The figure, obscured by darkness, clicked his tongue and lightly lifted Solitarie from the iron bars.
“Tch, Are rabbits normally this hot?”
“Beep, beep.”
Even as she was being held by a stranger, all she could do, aside from breathing with difficulty, was nothing. The one looking down at her with dark eyes asked.
“Do you want to live?”
The bars, which were overwhelmingly large to her, seemed like nothing to him.
Though corroded by the fever, making it hard to move even a finger, she moved with all her might. As if to say she wanted to live.
Seeing Solitarie like that, his golden eyes wavered for a moment.
“Well, I’m bored anyway, so I’ll take you with me.”
Just then, the moon, which had been hidden by clouds, revealed its face.
Hair as black as the night and golden eyes that looked ready to devour a rabbit on the spot. At a single glance, he was unmistakably a beast-person of a predatory species.
Solitarie muttered to herself.
So what? He’s the only beast-person who will get me out of this hell. As if matching that thought, sparkles embroidered the sky.
*Boom—*
The loud bell ringing in the New Year could be heard too.
“It’s the new year.”
With another loud sound, sparkles once again decorated the sky, and the light embedded itself into his black hair, blending into one.
Solitarie, thinking that the sight suited him well, let go of the thin thread of consciousness she was holding onto.
It was the Prince’s entrance.
* * *
“What, she fainted?”
As the rabbit collapsed in his hand, the boy’s head tilted on its own.
“Why is she so weak.”
Because of her green eyes that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment, the boy did something he would never normally do.
The soft fur felt at his fingertips proved it.
*Struggle desperately.*
Finding her had been an accident. He had run away, not wanting to be in the noisy banquet hall, and ended up witnessing a scene he had no desire to see.
He closed his eyes, hoping the situation would end quickly, but even after the despicable Securus left, the rabbit continued to struggle. Then, as if finally frustrated, the eyes that had been sparkling instantly died.
Witnessing that, the boy ended up saying something unnecessary.
Do you want to live?
The moment he thought, ‘Oops,’ the rabbit’s eyes he met were alive and shining again. Seeing that, an unpleasant sensation settled in the boy’s heart. It was a first in his life.
Looking at the chattering rabbit made his teeth grind on their own. It was anger.
Anger towards the head of the Lepus family, who had tried to kill this.
He felt that his anger would only subside if he found him immediately, locked him in an iron cage, and watched his eyes die in the same way. Having thought that far, the boy moved his steps as if to look for him.
But at that moment, a scorching heat rose into his palm, searing itself into the boy’s brain.
Warmth was supposed to be felt only in the palm of his hand, but for some reason, an inexplicable heat surged from his heart as well. As the rabbit groaned and rubbed its head against his palm, the boy slumped to a stop as if all strength had left him.
“Does that bastard know? That you survived because of him.”
Although she had fainted quite a while ago and couldn’t hear his words, he told her anyway, stroking the silver rabbit with rough hands.
How much time had passed? Men of large stature swarmed in and knelt before the boy.
“Young Master! The family head ordered you to be in the banquet hall, what are we to do if you ignore him?!”
The knights’ rough breathing and the clanking sounds with every move made the surroundings noisy. But as if none of that bothered him, the boy’s gaze remained fixed on his hand. When a knight spoke to him again, he finally turned his head to look at them.
Looking at the knights, whose fatigue was evident, the boy nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and said.
“This time it’s only been an hour. Isn’t that too late? You’ll find me only after I’ve gotten into some trouble.”
“You didn’t cause another accident, did you?!”
The faces of the burly knights began to turn pale. Soon, they grabbed the boy’s pant legs and cried.
Brushing them off annoyedly, the boy answered as usual.
“Don’t I only cause trouble that our Raon can handle?”
At the boy’s audacious demeanor, Raon’s face turned from pale to bluish-purple.
Finally noticing what was in the boy’s hand, he let out a shout. The boy’s expression contorted at the piercing noise ringing in his ears.
“D-did you kill it? No matter how… even so!”
Hearing that terrible assumption, the boy’s mood instantly soured, and his face hardened even more. Seemingly unaware, Raon continued to babble.
“Where does it look like I killed her?”
“No, just looking at it…”
Looking at the hand again, a small something was breathing laboriously. Finally relaxing his expression, Raon let out a sigh of relief and asked.
“Then why are you keeping it with you?”
“I just picked up an abandoned child.”
“Wha…at…?”
At those words, Raon’s face began to darken. The boy stared intently at Raon, who was showing various reactions.
Raon, who had shown a myriad of expressions in an instant, soon panicked and started cleaning his ears furiously, as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have, to the point where it seemed his ears might fall off.
“That’s absurd. I’d rather believe you kidnapped it than believe someone abandoned it.”
“Raon.”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to die?”
At the boy’s murderous words, Raon stopped cleaning his ears and hastily straightened his clothes. As he closed his mouth, silence fell.
Seemingly satisfied with the quiet space, the boy answered what Raon was curious about.
“Head of the Lepus family.”
“Pardon?”
“Do I have to say everything twice?”
The boy muttered, annoyed by Raon’s behavior. Raon, who had been frozen, finally snapped out of it and exclaimed.
“That’s impossible! How kind and good the head of the Lepus family is to his family. Moreover, the one who knows best what happens if you abandon a pet would never do such a thing!”
The boy nodded at Raon’s words.
It was precisely because Securus, the head of the Lepus family, was the one who championed the law that pets and livestock are different, and meticulously maintained a benevolent image.
“First of all, abandonment is punishable by death. Unless one is stupid, there’s no reason to abandon a pet…”
“Well, at least he won’t get the death penalty. Since she’s a beast-person.”
“Wha, what?”
Raon stammered, seemingly flustered. Tapping Raon’s gaping jaw with a *tap*, the boy declared.
“The moment it came into my hands, it became mine.”
Raon made an even more foolish expression than when he heard that the Lepus head had abandoned a rabbit. After admiring the sight for a moment, the boy soon waved his hand.
“Well, Raon. What should we do now?”
“…We must inform the family head, of course.”
“Right, you’re not completely stupid. Well then, I’ll head back to Hyrumps first, so deliver the message well.”
The boy curled one lip up into a mischievous, rascal-like smile. Giving a light wave, he disappeared into the darkness.
Even after the boy had completely vanished, Raon and the knights couldn’t easily collect themselves. Among them were those who slapped each other’s cheeks.
Around the time crisp slapping sounds filled the area, Raon, who had regained his senses, organized the situation.
“Stop doing weird things. The rest of you, go chase after the Young Master. I’ll go inform the family head of this matter.”
The knights with reddened faces hurriedly began to run after the boy. Confirming they were running, Raon turned and moved his steps.
It had happened less than 30 minutes after Securus had left Solitarie there.
* * *
Having shaken off the knights, the boy headed straight for the teleport located in the Lepus family estate. The knight guarding the place, upon spotting the boy, flustered and bowed.
“Greetings to the heir of Hyrumps, Heinrich Theo Hyrumps.”
