Episode 12
At the exact moment my uncle shouted, Mars, who had been kicked in the back of his knee by the rabbit, let out a groan and collapsed to his knees.
“This isn’t me kneeling before you, Lize!”
Mars hastily got up, yelling in my direction.
But I had no time to care about what Mars was saying.
“Golden Bunny!”
At my call, the bunny darted toward me with a loud thud.
My uncle, with an annoyed expression, reached out for the golden bunny with a growl, but he failed.
The bunny easily dodged my uncle and landed lightly in front of me.
“Golden Bunny.”
“Beep.”
Relief washed over me as I saw the bunny unharmed.
“Lize! What is this rabbit? From the way you’re speaking, it seems you know it!”
My uncle shouted, his voice trembling with uncontrollable anger as he strode toward me.
“Honestly, you and your brother are of no help to this family—”
“Grrr.”
I quickly moved the golden bunny behind me as it began to bare its teeth.
“What brings you to the annex?”
“Does that matter right now? This worthless rabbit…”
“Why are you so upset over a ‘worthless’ rabbit?”
My uncle, trembling with anger, reached out again to grab the bunny but failed just as easily as before. He snorted and turned his back.
“I heard you collapsed, so I came to see if you had died!”
He pretended to have come out of concern, but he was holding documents in his hand. It was clear those papers were the real reason for his visit.
“What’s that document in your hand?”
“Never mind. I’m not in the mood to talk, so I’ll call for you again later.”
My uncle and Mars both glared at the bunny one last time before leaving the room. The moment they were gone, I slammed the door shut.
‘What was he here for?’
What could those documents in his hand have been about?
‘Well, it’s probably about money. I was rewarded for the merits I earned recently, after all.’
According to the laws of the empire, the salaries of those affiliated with a noble family belong to the family, not the individual.
That meant the money I earned steadily as a knight also went straight into my uncle’s pockets.
He must have come to discuss how to deal with my assets, which had already been absorbed into the family’s funds.
‘Once Bryce grows up, I’ll definitely gain independence.’
Bryce was still a minor, so he couldn’t escape the guardianship of my uncle.
Once he grew up, we’d leave this family for good.
That was necessary to prevent the misfortunes Bryce faced in the original story.
‘Anyway…’
I crouched down and met the golden bunny’s gaze.
“Beep.”
The bunny, who had been quietly watching me, opened its mouth.
Now it must understand, I thought, what kind of treatment I receive in this household.
“Golden Bunny, there are people in this world who are worth hating.”
“Beep.”
“But fortunately, there are also many people worth loving.”
The Golden Bunny was about the same age as Bryce, still so young. It seemed like it had already witnessed too many cruel things.
So I wanted to tell it something hopeful.
“There will be many people in your life, Golden Rabbit, who are worth loving. People you can cherish.”
Including our Bryce, of course.
The Golden Bunny, silently watching me, reached out its soft little paw.
I extended my finger and held the bunny’s front paws.
The fluffy, warm sensation filled me with a strange sense of healing and warmth.
It felt like this might be the ultimate healing power—not something extraordinary, but just this. A smile naturally spread across my lips.
As I stared at the Golden Bunny, I scooped its soft, plump body into my arms.
“Beep…!”
“It’s such a relief you’re safe.”
The bunny always seemed flustered when I held it, but when I pressed my cheek against its soft fur and let out a sigh of relief, it didn’t push me away.
“Let’s eat some meat, Golden Bunny.”
Hearing that, the bunny’s worried expression brightened instantly.
***
That night.
In the darkness, a man rubbed the back of his knee where the rabbit had kicked him.
‘I won’t let this go….’
In front of Mars were several paintings he had stolen from his father’s study.
He had hidden them in the annex’s storage, planning to secretly sell them for money, but the rabbit had exposed him while he was chasing it.
“It’s all because of Lize.”
A woman who, despite being a freeloader in this family, acted arrogantly just because she had the luck to become an imperial knight.
There were even awakened aura users among the imperial knights, but Lize wasn’t one of them.
Her skills were mediocre at best.
Yet, because she had the good fortune to earn merits during the war, she had become a sub-captain!
‘That should have been my position.’
He could have gone to the war himself.
But due to a friend’s wedding during that period, he had been unable to participate, and Lize had taken his place instead.
While he was tied down by unavoidable circumstances, Lize had shamelessly stolen the opportunity to gain glory and had risen in rank.
Mars clenched his teeth as he thought of Lize, who had been so protective of that rabbit.
‘I won’t let this go.’
He ground his teeth furiously.
***
“Really, I could’ve gone alone.”
On the way back from dealing with Luxca’s remnants in the Bezen Forest.
The Golden Bunny responded to my words with an indifferent squeak.
Though I had taken down Luxca’s leader, extinguishing the immediate threat, the remnants had to be dealt with to truly wrap things up.
Since Luxca’s power dissipated with the loss of its leader, finishing off the remnants wasn’t too difficult.
“Sister, could you stop talking to the bunny and talk to me instead?”
Bryce, who had been quietly following behind, finally spoke up.
Hearing my younger brother’s voice, I turned around brightly.
“Bryce, do you want to talk to your sister?”
He had reached an age where he didn’t seem to want to talk to me, so I had refrained from initiating conversations.
It was such a welcome surprise to hear that.
“I never said I didn’t.”
“Your swordsmanship has improved a lot. I was really surprised.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
Bryce replied nonchalantly, turning his head. Despite his tone, I could see the corners of his lips twitching slightly.
Since the monsters weren’t too challenging, I had brought Bryce along for training purposes.
“Sister, you’re still not fully recovered. I have to work harder.”
“That’s so admirable.”
“Beep.”
As I was talking to Bryce, the Golden Bunny tugged at the hem of my pants.
“Hmm? What is it, Golden Rabbit?”
“Beep, Beep.”
The bunny seemed to be trying to say something, so I leaned in to listen closely.
“Older sister, weren’t you talking to me?”
At that moment, Bryce tugged at my sleeve.
“Oh, what were we talking about?”
“Beep.”
As soon as I turned my attention back to Bryce, the bunny quickly pulled me toward it again.
“Yes, Golden Bunny. Oh, you’ve got dirt on your fur. Let me clean that off, hold on…”
“Older sister, I’ve got dirt on me too.”
“Beep.”
Whenever I focused on one, the other would call me, and if I focused on the other, the first one would call me again.
“Alright, just a moment, Golden Bunny.”
“I’m Bryce, though.”
“Oh, sorry, Bryce. Just a second…”
Being called by both of them made me happy, but it was starting to feel a bit overwhelming…
“Lady Lize?”
A familiar voice called from behind me.
When I turned around, a tall man with shining silver hair stood there, wearing a gentle smile.
“Sir Julius!”
I happily called his name.
It was Sir Julius, a priest from the temple.
Not only was he a fellow participant in the Imperial History Studies course—a requirement for all adults for one month—but he was also someone aware of my condition.
Thanks to Sir Julius’ treatments, I was able to endure those full moon nights.
“What brings you here, Lady Lize?”
“I was just handling some monsters.”
“Ah, your dedication to your duties is remarkable. Impressive.”
I shrugged my shoulders playfully and turned to Bryce.
Bryce, did you hear that? Your older sister is truly amazing, isn’t she?
“And what about you, Sir Julius? What are you doing here?”
“Well…”
Sir Julius opened the bag he was holding, revealing it to be filled with rare herbs.
“Wow, did you gather all of these yourself, Sir Julius?”
“Yes. I managed to find them by sensing the holy energy in certain areas.”
It was an incredible talent.
On our way down to the village, we naturally began chatting as we walked together.
“I’m hoping to create more effective medicine with these.”
“You, Sir Julius, are the one truly dedicated to your profession.”
“Ah, you flatter me, haha. How is your health these days?”
Leaning slightly toward me, Sir Julius whispered,
“And how were your symptoms during the last full moon?”
“They weren’t great. But…”
I glanced back at Bryce and the Golden Bunny trailing behind us, then whispered back to Julius.
“I think I may have found a way to handle it a little better.”
The next full moon was fast approaching. Based on how the last one had gone, I knew the pain was becoming worse each time.
But now, I didn’t have to endure it all alone anymore.
Because I had the Golden Bunny with me.
***
“Hey, Kim Tokki.”
N/ Kim Toki is a sarcastic call for a rabbit.
Trailing behind Lize and Julius, who were engaged in an animated conversation, Bryce walked alongside the bunny.
“…”
“Isn’t that your name?”
“Beep.”
“The knights from the Erne Order said so…”
Bryce trailed off, unsure if the rabbit’s expression just now had seemed especially threatening or if it was just his imagination.
At first, he thought maybe it was his fault.
But upon closer inspection, the rabbit’s gaze was fixed intently on the older sister and Sir Julius ahead of them.
“What’s this, Rabbit? Are you jealous?”
“Beep.”
The rabbit snorted dismissively, as if to say that was ridiculous.
Yet its fiery gaze at the two ahead betrayed otherwise.
“They look good together, don’t they?”
As soon as Bryce casually uttered that remark, the rabbit shot him a deadly glare.
“Right. Totally not jealousy.”
“Beep.”
“Why does my sister like you so much, anyway? You’re not even cute.”
“Beep.”
“Don’t try acting cute now.”
“Beep!”
“But Rabbit, there’s something else weird about you.”
Bryce folded his arms, glancing sideways at the rabbit as he asked,
“You’re obviously a male rabbit, aren’t you? Then why does my sister seem to think you’re a female rabbit?”
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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