ITBFL | Chapter 2

Episode 2

Still, aren’t its tiny black paws, like little cotton balls, and perky ears cute?

And I feel like I’ve heard somewhere that wild rabbits are originally like this.

“So cute.”

“Hardly.”

“Don’t you think so?”

“You have peculiar tastes.”

“Those words… I’ll make you say them back to me later, Bryce.”

“I’d stake my sword on that never happening.”

Bryce, that’s the kind of line regretful men always say. It’s such a cliché.

“You’re going to fall in love with this rabbit.”

I chuckled knowingly as I foresaw the future. Bryce, letting out a sound of disgust, made a face as if creeped out and tried to flee.

I hurried to catch Bryce, but with his recently lengthened legs, he quickly scurried off down the corridor, already far ahead.

“I’ll leave this cradle in your room.”

“Then I won’t step foot in that room.”

“Let’s see you try.”

Ignoring my words, Bryce turned the corner and disappeared. It seemed he genuinely disliked the rabbit.

But isn’t the charm of classic character dynamics all about hating each other at first but growing fond later?

Hmph, dear brother. No matter how much you resist, it’s futile.

I watched the end of the corridor where Bryce had disappeared, then entered his room and placed the rabbit cradle on the bed.

“Wait just a bit, bunny.”

By the time the rabbit wakes up, it’ll meet Bryce again.

Imagining the adorable encounter between my lovable brother and the charming rabbit heroine, I left Bryce’s room.

From now on, Bryce and the rabbit will gradually grow on each other.

Thinking of the two’s fluttering moments from the original story, I couldn’t help but smile.

Now, all that’s left for me is to watch this fluffy, heartwarming story unfold!

After nighttime practice behind the annex, I returned to my room.

Even on days I didn’t attend the knightly training grounds, I had to squeeze in practice here and there.

This was because there was someone in the knightly order who, if my skills slacked even a bit, would smirk in the most annoyingly condescending way.

Although, I feel like I haven’t seen him these past few days.

‘Whatever, not like it matters.’

In a few days, there’s a bet to hunt the base of the Luxka monsters. Like it or not, I’ll end up seeing him then.

I hurriedly grabbed some clothes from the room and headed straight to the bathroom. After a light shower, I returned to my room.

I was just about to throw myself onto the bed when…

“…?”

I locked eyes with a black figure on the bed.

“Beep.”

The black figure opened its tiny mouth in surprise, letting out a soft sound. Its canary-yellow eyes blinked rapidly.

“…!”

A rabbit!

The rabbit had woken up!

“Beep.”

Even its cries were cute. Do rabbits in this world cry this adorably? Or is it because it’s the heroine?

But why is it in my room? Not Bryce’s?

Never mind, the important thing is it’s awake!

“Bunny!”

I rushed over and scooped up the rabbit immediately.

The rabbit tried to hop away from me, but I quickly shifted my body in its direction.

In the end, the rabbit landed snugly in my arms. Its soft, fluffy fur pressed against my arms.

“You’re awake. Are you hurt?”

Holding the surprisingly heavy rabbit, I looked down at it worriedly.

Its pretty golden eyes really did look just like a rabbit’s.

When my red hair brushed against its black, fluffy fur, its eyes grew even rounder.

Seeing those wide, round eyes made me smile without realizing it.

‘Those eyes… feel somewhat familiar.’

The rabbit, its black, fluffy body curled into a ball, seemed a little stiff.

“No need to be so tense.”

Come to think of it, how startled must it be?

Imagine waking up and realizing you’re a rabbit. And then a strange woman is hugging you? That’s probably how it feels.

But don’t worry, I’m a kind big sister.

“…Beep.”

“Aww, awwww.”

Seeing the adorable rabbit made my heart feel strangely purified.

“Hm? What’s this?”

There seemed to be something attached to the underside of its tail…

“Beep?!”

The rabbit flinched violently, pushing against my arm.

“Bep!”

“…?!”

Its paws were soft like cotton balls, but its swatting strength was surprisingly strong. I couldn’t even attempt to check under its tail.

“Beep!”

The rabbit, which had been lightly tapping my arm with its paws, suddenly squinted its eyes in pain.

It seemed its wound, not fully healed yet, was hurting.

In the original story, Lily had been injured from falling off a cliff, right?

Oh dear, how painful that must be. My expression instinctively twisted into a grimace.

“No, bunny, you need to rest.”

I gently placed the rabbit back onto the bed. It let out a series of soft “beep, beep” sounds, as if trying to say something.

“What is it?”

“Beep.”

“Food?”

“Bep.”

Shaking its head vehemently, the rabbit seemed to say it wasn’t food.

“Beep, beep! Beep!”

I squinted my eyes, trying to interpret its sounds, and suddenly the answer struck me. I clapped my hands.

“Ah!”

“Beep?”

“The bathroom?”

“…”

Right, now that I think about it, rabbits need to use the bathroom too!

“Malon, Malon!”

I rang the bell to call Malon, the servant assigned to the annex.

Malon had been working at the Artiella Count’s estate since my childhood, back when my father was the head of the family.

Originally one of the senior servants in the main house, Malon had volunteered to take charge of the old annex after Bryce and I moved here.

“What is it, Lady Lize?”

Malon came rushing over in a hurry.

“Could you line a large basket with some grass?”

“…Pardon?”

A short while later, Malon brought back a rabbit bathroom.

It was fragrant and pleasant, lined with aromatic herbs.

“Bunny, this is yours,” I said, turning to the rabbit. I thought it might cheer it up a bit.

But the rabbit simply covered its head with its two little paw-like cotton balls, making faint “beep, beep” sounds as if mumbling to itself.

“Bunny!”

“Beep… Wow, beep…”

The rabbit alternated its gaze between me and the bathroom, its eyes filled with what seemed to be not just shame but utter mortification.

***

Because the rabbit continued its protest of relentless beeping for some time, I moved the bathroom to a spot out of my sight.

Well, after all, this rabbit is actually a person.

I need to respect its dignity.

“Bunny, look at this.”

“…”

I had been trying to play with the rabbit for hours now.

To be precise, I had been attempting to entertain it for hours, with no success.

Despite my continuous efforts to engage it, the rabbit refused to show any interest and wouldn’t even come within a meter of me.

‘This rabbit has quite the prickly personality.’

In the original story, whenever Bryce brought out something fun, the rabbit would get curious and react instinctively.

Watching those moments was one of the joys of the original story.

“Bunny, do you want to explore the annex?”

“…”

But, as it turns out, reality is different from fiction. The rabbit’s personality, as I experienced it firsthand, felt quite different from how it had been depicted in writing.

Instead of being a cheerful, lively, dumpling-like character…

‘It feels more like a tiger trapped in a rabbit’s body…’

Well, to be fair, the original heroine, Lily, did have a bold and commanding aura when she set her mind to something.

“What do you want to do?”

“…”

“Should I brush your fur?”

“…”

“Want to visit the stream and look at stones? There are lots of pretty ones.”

I kept talking to the rabbit, which was lounging on my sofa like it owned the place, occasionally casting a glance my way.

Even when I suggested things Lily seemed to like in the original story, the rabbit remained indifferent.

Until…

“Want me to give you a bath?”

“Beep?!”

The rabbit suddenly recoiled in surprise.

Oh, a reaction!

“You wanted to bathe? Let’s do it! I’ll help you, bunny!”

“Beep?”

Delighted, I approached the rabbit with enthusiasm.

But the moment I tried to pick it up…

‘Where did it go?’

As I looked around, trying to locate the rabbit that had disappeared in an instant, I heard a sound from above.

“…!”

The rabbit had leapt upward. It was now nearly touching the ceiling, having jumped impossibly high.

“…”

How can it jump like that?

It managed to leap at least twenty times its own height. The strength in its legs was astonishing.

The rabbit easily evaded my hands and landed gracefully on the bed.

But the moment it sat down, pop!—its wound reopened, and it collapsed.

“Beeeeep…”

No! Bunny!

In the end, I failed to give the rabbit a bath.

Even with its wound reopened, the rabbit adamantly refused to let me into the bathroom.

As soon as we reached the bathroom, it hopped down, slammed the door shut with its tiny paws, and barred my entry.

Now, freshly washed, the rabbit was sitting by the window, letting the night breeze dry its fur.

I pulled up a chair beside it and sat down, gazing at the rabbit.

I felt like I had spent my entire day at home just watching the rabbit.

I’d never had a pet in my life, but now I thought I understood how pet owners felt.

‘Like when people leave gatherings early, saying, “My cat’s waiting for me at home!”’

I used to think they were being overly dramatic, but now I get it.

‘No, this isn’t the time for this. I need to make Bryce and the rabbit bond quickly!’

That’s the only way Bryce’s abilities will awaken faster, and my illness will be cured.

But with the fluffy rabbit in front of me, I kept forgetting everything and simply zoned out, lost in the sight of it.

“Bunny.”

Come to think of it, I’ve been calling it “bunny” this whole time.

It might be good to give it a name.

“What should I call you?”

Of course, I know your real name.

Lily Selberdin. That’s your name, isn’t it?

But I can’t exactly let you know that I know your true identity.

So, I’ll need a different name for you.

“Golden Bunny?”

“Beep.”

“Silver Bunny?”

“…Beep.”

“Stone Bunny? Fist Bunny?”

“…Beep.”

“Striped Bunny?”

“…”

The rabbit bared its teeth.

Oh no, it’s mad.

Sorry, I wanted to think of a pretty name, but these are all I can come up with.

A pretty name, a pretty name…

Hmm…

“Would ‘Golden Bunny’ still be the best choice?”