ITMBWFL 10

Chapter 10

The warm rabbit’s paw didn’t feel that hot.

Does that mean my body is hot?

“Golden Rabbit, how are you feeling? Are you still sick?”

“Ppi ppi.”

The rabbit looked at me seriously, as if telling me to worry about myself first.

It kept saying something to me. I couldn’t understand the words, but strangely, I could feel its emotions.

I want to understand what the rabbit is saying.

I also keep wanting to open up to it… to tell it what’s inside my heart.

The day of the carriage accident… when I woke up after losing consciousness, and the small hope that my parents might still be alive completely shattered… how shaken I was.

When my uncle said he would send Bryce away to a foreign land—where he would go through terrible hardships… how hard I tried to stop it.

I even wanted to complain about how much my illness had tormented me.

“If it’s the Golden Rabbit… it feels like it would just quietly comfort me.”

This cynical yet warm rabbit really felt like it would do that.

It was strange… that I wanted to tell these things to a rabbit.

“Well… it is a person, though…”

Still, I had never opened up like this even to a person.

Anyway…

I smiled softly at the rabbit.

“Rabbit… I’m sleepy.”

“Ppii.”

The rabbit stretched out its arms to stop my head from falling, but my eyes had already closed.

My fever was already high, and I was too exhausted to fight off the sleep.

“Ppii, ppii.”

Lize… Lize… It sounded like the rabbit was calling my name.

Listening to that voice, I slowly drifted into sleep.

“Lize, Li—”

A low voice echoed in the cave.

The man who had been calling the woman in his arms suddenly stopped.

“……”

He took a breath and slowly raised his hand in front of his eyes.

His golden eyes trembled slightly.

The large, rough hand that had held a sword… the sun-tanned arm with defined muscles…

They were all human.

Kassium Ruden Valteier.

They were his.

‘I’m back.’

He had returned after several days.

From a rabbit… back to a human.

‘Did I return because my injuries healed?’

Kassium lifted his clothes and looked at the wound on his waist. It was clearly much better than before.

At first, when he realized he had taken a magic potion, he didn’t think much of it.

Someone likely held a grudge against the Valteier family and gave it to him, but he had built resistance to most poisons and drugs since childhood.

So nothing happened right after taking it.

But on the day he took Ragorn’s heart, he was seriously injured.

At that moment, the effect of the potion hidden inside his body activated.

‘Even if I’m injured, something like this shouldn’t affect me…’

The moment the effect spread, he knew.

This was no ordinary potion.

It contained dark magic.

And without even realizing he had transformed, he collapsed… and when he barely made it to a village—

‘Bryce! We have to take that rabbit!’

He ran into Lize.

Of all people… Lize Artiella.

And in the form of a small rabbit.

‘Of all times…’

At first, he tried to run away. But his injuries made that impossible.

He thought he would recover a bit, then find a way to return to normal.

But as days passed… Kassium grew used to that place.

To the space where Lize was.

To the expressions, tone, and touch she never showed in the knight order.

Anyway, now that he was back, there was no time to delay.

He had to return immediately—to the Valteier Duchy and the knight order—

His thoughts suddenly stopped.

“Mm…”

Because Lize, who was lying while holding him, tightened her arms around him.

Her slender but firm arms wrapped around his shoulders and back.

Her curly red hair brushed against his cheek.

They were that close.

Not even knowing who she was holding, Lize slept deeply.

In her arms, Kassium froze like ice.

“……”

Lize Artiella.

From their academy days to now, she had always been someone who didn’t match him, someone who bothered him.

From the very beginning… she was someone he couldn’t ignore.

And then—

“Kassium… you bastard…”

When his name suddenly came out of her mouth, Kassium looked at her face again, thinking she had woken up.

But her green eyes were still closed.

She was just mumbling in her sleep, as if complaining in a dream.

Kassium’s gaze lingered on her sleeping face.

What kind of dream is she having?

It didn’t seem like a good one.

Because during the past few days, he realized—

Lize hated him more than he thought.

Was she still holding onto that sparring incident from long ago?

And what about that night at the victory party… did she not mean any of it?

Lize curled up as if she was cold.

At first, she had been holding Kassium…

But now, she had burrowed into him so much that it was as if he was holding her.

Listening to her quiet breathing, Kassium stayed frozen.

He couldn’t just pull his arm away—she was too deeply in his embrace.

Her warm breath against his neck disrupted his thoughts.

“…Lize.”

After hesitating for a long time, he called her name.

“Lize.”

He called again, but she didn’t respond.

If she found out the rabbit was him… he didn’t know how she would react.

But instead of answering, she only breathed softly.

When he touched her forehead, it was still hot.

Her fever hadn’t gone down.

“……”

Fortunately, he was wearing the same clothes as before he turned into a rabbit.

Kassium took off his jacket and carefully covered her with it.

Then he stepped out of the cave.

The sound of his steps on wet grass mixed with the fading rain.

He pulled out a dagger and cut some medicinal herbs nearby, including ones that carried a cooling effect.

Then he returned to the cave.

Lize was still asleep.

Kassium sat beside her and laid her on his lap.

Her breathing had become rougher.

He needed to treat her quickly and leave the forest.

“This is nothing for you, Lize.”

If she knew he was in front of her, she would’ve forced herself to act fine.

She only relaxed because she thought he was just a small rabbit.

That was the kind of person Lize Artiella was.

Proud—someone who never wanted to show weakness.

Weak in front of the weak, but strong in front of the strong.

Especially in front of him.

Kassium removed the bandage from her arm and applied the herbs.

“…Ah.”

Lize let out a faint groan.

His hand paused for a moment, then continued.

After re-bandaging her arm neatly, he placed the cooling herb on her forehead.

As he did, her eyelids fluttered.

And then—

“Ha…”

She exhaled and opened her eyes.

In the flickering firelight inside the cave…

Their eyes met.

“……”

Her half-open green eyes stared straight at him.

She kept staring at him weakly.

Kassium had expected her to shout the moment she woke up, so this reaction surprised him.

I’m right in front of you, Lize.

Not the rabbit you liked…

But Kassium Valteier.

Yet she just blinked.

And then—

“Kassium.”

She smiled.

It was the smile she made when she won against him.

Calling his name with that smile made Kassium flustered.

“Lize, if you’re awake—”

“Where have you been? You didn’t show up at all… but at least you came.”

Her voice was faint with fever.

Her eyes slowly closed again.

“But I already defeated Luxka. I won the bet.”

With that, she fell asleep again.

She was clearly on the edge of dreams.

Maybe that was a relief.

Only after she fell asleep did Kassium finally breathe again.

Why was I holding my breath?

He wiped his dry face.

He couldn’t stay here any longer.

“Kassium?!”

When I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling of my room.

‘What…?’

I thought I saw Kassium.

Was it a dream?

‘Wait… I went to catch Luxka.’

How did I get back?

“Miss Lize, it’s Marlon.”

“Marlon! Come in!”

“Miss Lize…?! You’re awake!”

Marlon rushed in.

I grabbed him before he could cry and asked,

“How did I get here?”

“You were collapsed in front of the mansion.”

“Was anyone with me?”

“Someone with you? No, you were alone when I found you.”

“…I see.”

Then… was seeing Kassium really a dream?

Maybe I smiled without realizing it because I was out of it.

Maybe I was just glad to see a living person.

Anyway… did I come back alone while half-conscious?

‘That’s some impressive homing instinct.’

Well… something like that had happened before.

Back when I was a cadet at the academy.

I once got lost in a labyrinth-like monster forest.

I fought monsters for a long time, wandering around, losing consciousness…

And then I don’t remember much.

But when I woke up, I was back at the camp.

Maybe it was instinct after all.

But wait…

“Golden Rabbit!!”

“Miss! Please don’t get up, your wounds are deep!”

“Did you see a rabbit, Marlon?!”

“A rabbit? That one?”

“Did you see it?!”

“No. You were alone.”

My eyes widened. My lips trembled.

Oh no!

I left the rabbit in the mountains!

My rabbit is a house rabbit!