ITBFL | Chapter 28

Episode 28

“Then, Lady Lize, I’ll see you next time.”

“Yes. I’ll visit again after the next full moon.”

“You’re welcome to come anytime before that as well.”

Yulius smiled brightly.

Seeing that smile gave me a strange sense of peace, and I found myself smiling along with him.

He had this holy virtue that always seemed to calm the hearts of those around him.

“Beep.”

Meanwhile, Golden Bunny in my bag didn’t seem to share that peace, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

“Golden Bunny, you didn’t fight with Sir Julius, did you?”

“Lady Lize, how could I possibly fight with such a cute creature?”

Julius chuckled, treating my question as a joke.

Of course, Julius didn’t know that Golden Bunny was originally a person.

He must simply think it’s a very clever little animal.

Golden Bunny snorted and turned its head away without a word.

So, they did fight.

Though, of course, it must’ve been a one-sided grudge from Golden Bunny’s perspective.

But what could have possibly caused an argument between Julius and Golden Bunny?

In the original story, Lily got along well with Julius, even learning how to handle holy power from him. Unless
Golden Bunny isn’t Lily, that is.

No, not this train of thought again.

“Beep.”

Golden Bunny urged me to hurry up, as if to say we should leave already.

“Thank you again for everything today, Sir Yulius.”

“Not at all. Please send me a telegram when you get home.”

“Beep? Beep Beep?”

Golden Bunny glared at Julius with a menacing expression, as if to ask why i’d need to send a telegram.

It really seemed like they had fought.

I calmed Golden Bunny, who looked ready to leap out of my bag and charge at Julius.

“Let’s go home and have something delicious, Golden Bunny.”

Leaving the temple, I got into a hired carriage.

Though the weather was nice enough to walk back to the Count’s estate, I had somewhere else to go.

“…Take me here, please.”

I quietly gave the coachman the destination, ensuring Golden Bunny wouldn’t hear.

Golden Bunny curled up inside my bag, gazing absentmindedly at the passing scenery.

When it noticed we weren’t heading toward the Count’s estate, it turned to look at me.

“Beep?”

“Oh, well, you see…”

I trailed off, avoiding giving a clear answer.

Eventually, the carriage arrived at a large gate adorned with blooming yellow roses.

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat, glancing at the golden rabbit, who stared intently at the gate.

Do you recognize this place, Golden Bunny?

I asked silently in my mind.

This was the residence of Baron Selberdine.

In other words, Lily’s home.

Golden Bunny nodded several times.

It seems familiar to you.

But my visit here wasn’t to test the Golden Bunny.

It was to confirm a particular fact.

“I’d like to meet Baron Selberdine.”

After asking the servants to look after Golden Bunny for a moment, I waited in the drawing room for the Baron.

Soon, Baron Selberdine entered the room.

“Greetings, Sir Artiel.”

“It’s been a while, Baron.”

We weren’t strangers; we had met before at a banquet hosted by the royal family.

The servant set up refreshments on the table, and the Baron gestured for me to help myself.

He opened and closed his mouth several times, as if hesitating, before finally blurting out, unable to wait any longer,

“So, uh… What brings a royal knight to my humble home? Or is there a message from the Count’s household?”

There was a flicker of expectation in his eyes, as if hoping for some beneficial news.

It seemed best to indulge that expectation at first.

Diving straight into the main topic might arouse suspicion.

“I was wondering about the timber supply business you recently started. How would you feel about collaborating with the Artiel family?”

My uncle wasn’t particularly skilled at managing business, so I could use this as a pretext. Even if Baron Selberdine contacted us later, he’d likely think it was his idea.

Hearing my words, the Baron’s face brightened.

“Of course, that would be wonderful!”

“Please discuss the details with the Count later. You can contact us through an agent of the Artiel family.”

“Understood!”

The Baron nodded enthusiastically.

Taking advantage of his relaxed mood, I casually brought up the real question I had come to ask.

“By the way, I heard you have a daughter. I didn’t see her while walking up to the mansion. Is she out at the moment?”

Thinking back, it was possible Lily hadn’t yet transformed into a bunny.

I needed to confirm whether Lily was currently missing.

“Ah, well…”

At my question, Baron Selberdine sighed and shook his head.

“You hear about how wild children are these days, don’t you? I used to wonder who they were talking about, but it turns out it’s my own daughter. She’s run away from home.”

I frowned at his response.

“Run away from home?”

“Yes. She left, not appreciating how precious it is to have food and a roof over her head.”

And whose fault is that?

In the original story, Lily had always wanted to leave home, pouring her feelings into her journal.

It seemed likely that the Baron had found that journal after she disappeared.

Still, for a father whose daughter was missing to speak poorly of her to a relative stranger—without a hint of concern—was shocking.

“But even so… Aren’t you worried about her?”

“Worried? No. She’ll only realize the value of what she had once she’s suffered enough out there.”

The Baron ground his teeth.

Golden Bunny would likely have hidden in surprise if it had seen that expression.

“Surely you can relate since the Artiel family has children of a similar age? Ah, though I doubt your child would act in such a way.”

Instead of being concerned as a father, he was only angry. If Golden Bunny truly were Lily, it was fortunate it hadn’t witnessed this.

So, for now, it seems Lily is indeed missing.

I stood up.

“Well then, have a peaceful evening, Baron.”

“Oh, are you leaving already?”

Baron Selberdine quickly got up to see me off with a cheerful face.

This lively send-off was something I had hoped for from Golden Bunny, yet I was receiving it from Baron Selberdine instead.

“Golden Bunny, let’s go.”

I retrieved the golden rabbit from the servants and headed back to the hired carriage.

“Beep.”

I wondered what Golden Bunny had been thinking at the baron’s mansion.

“Golden Bunny, do you want to live somewhere else instead of at our house? For example, this place is nicer than the annex at the Count’s estate. How about living here?”

“Beep?”

Golden Bunny glanced at me, as if to say, What are you talking about?

“Never mind.”

That was a relief.

During the ride back, Golden Bunny curled up close to me, as though worried I might actually leave it behind.

Golden Bunny.

In the shaking carriage, I looked at Golden Bunny and thought to myself,

Are you really Lily?

“Beep.”

I lay on the bed in my room, staring face-to-face with Golden Bunny.

There’s no way… It’s impossible that Golden Bunny is Cassium.

I smacked my cheek with a light slap.

I had already confirmed that Lily was missing! So why did this thought keep popping into my head?

“Beep?”

“Ah, Golden Bunny.”

Even while lost in those thoughts, I couldn’t help but smile at Golden Bunny and pet it lovingly.

Let’s sort this out. Reasons why Golden Bunny could be Cassium and why it couldn’t.

First, the reasons why it could be Cassium.

If Cassium has truly disappeared, it’s possible that he has transformed into something else.

It might not necessarily be a Bunny, or he might not have transformed at all, but the possibility couldn’t be entirely dismissed.

Second,

The eyes are similar. Golden-colored eyes.

Cassium also had golden eyes.

Of course, if he had turned into a rabbit, there was no guarantee his physical traits would remain the same.

Still, it was a shared feature between Cassium and Golden Bunny.

Third,

Golden Bunny sometimes reminds me of Cassium—like its occasional indifferent expressions.

That might explain why I had fleeting thoughts of Cassium while looking at the golden rabbit.

‘No, Vice-Captain! Don’t go!’

The image of Hedel shouting that as he looked at Golden Bunny flashed through my mind.

Could Hedel have thought the same? That Golden Bunny resembled Cassium?

“Hmm…”

I buried my face in the pillow, then lifted it again to look at Golden Bunny intently.

Alright, now for the reasons why the golden rabbit couldn’t be Cassium.

First, Lily is missing. She’s likely turned into a bunny, which makes it highly probable that Golden Bunny is actually Lily.

I didn’t believe the world would follow the original story exactly.

However, the original story did provide certain tendencies within this world.

Unless something significant disrupted the flow, events from the story were highly likely to occur.

This “narrative logic” of the novel seemed to manifest in this world in that way.

In any case, it’s highly likely that the Golden Bunny is Lily.

The second reason why Golden Bunny couldn’t be Cassium was…

“Beep?”

Golden Bunny stretched out its front paw and placed it on the back of my hand.

Then it patted me gently.

It must have thought I was deeply troubled by something.

How adorable.

This was the second reason.

Golden Bunny was too cute.

There was no way Cassium could be this cute.

“Beep?”

Golden Bunny tilted its head and let out a soft, endearing cry.