ITBFL | Chapter 5

Episode 5

But the bunny remained silent.

The smile Bryce had been forcing slowly twisted into a frown.

“I’m leaving, Sister!”

With a huff, Bryce turned his head and stormed out of the room.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

The idea was to help Bryce and the bunny bond.

Still, it was endearing.

I continued watching the bunny munch on greens with a contented smile. Only after finishing the entire bowl did it hop away with quick, small steps.

Well, I guess they’ll grow closer starting tomorrow!

Three full days passed.

“Golden Bunny.”

A few days ago, the bunny had pretended to be close to me in front of Bryce.

But as soon as Bryce left, that act vanished.

The bunny had taken over my sofa, sitting firmly on it.

It even refused to let me come near.

No, but it’s my sofa.

“Golden Bunny.”

“……”

“Golden Bunnyyy.”

“Beep.”

Hearing the bunny’s indifferent reply, I glanced out the window.

‘Tonight is another full moon.’

Every time I was exposed to the moonlight of a full moon, it felt like my body was being slashed by a blade.

Only two people knew about my illness: Julius, the prince of the empire and a priest of the temple, and Deserus, the vice-captain of the knight order.

Even my younger brother, Bryce, didn’t know about it.

Thanks to Julius’s treatments, I was barely holding on, but the pain was growing worse over time.

That’s why I needed Lily, the heroine of the original story, and her healing powers.

‘For that to happen, the bunny needs to grow closer to Bryce…’

But judging by their current interactions, I’d be lucky if they didn’t end up as enemies.

Although the bunny seemed to prefer me over Bryce, it still kept its distance.

It spent its time deep in thought, as if brooding over something alone.

‘If this goes on, its healing powers won’t manifest.’

If that happened, I might truly end up dying before I turned 23, just like in the original story.

I couldn’t let that happen!

Suppressing the sound of my footsteps, I approached the bunny.

The bunny perked up its ears and turned to look at me.

“Golden Bunny, how do you know me?”

Before it could look away, I quickly asked my question. Its round eyes blinked slowly at me.

I’d only asked to keep the conversation going, but I was genuinely curious.

I hadn’t met Lily Selberdin yet. So how did the bunny know my name?

“Option 1: I’m famous. Option 2: You’ve heard about me. Option 3: You just guessed.”

The bunny hesitated for a moment.

Then it answered.

“Beep, beep.”

It had heard about me.

“Then what did you hear? Did I seem like a good person?”

“……”

“Hmm?”

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

The bunny inhaled sharply.

Then, narrowing its eyes, it let out a soft sigh and tilted its head slightly.

“What does that mean!”

“Beep.”

Its gaze seemed to say, You already know.

What on earth did it know about me?

“I’m a good person, Golden Bunny!”

“Beep?”

“I really am!”

When I insisted again, the bunny begrudgingly nodded twice.

But its eyes were filled with an exasperated Fine, if you say so look, leaving me feeling both indignant and frustrated.

“Beep.”

The bunny flopped back onto the sofa.

But somehow, it seemed weak.

“Golden Bunny, what’s wrong?”

“Beep.”

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

The bunny shook its head. So it wasn’t pain.

Thanks to treatment, its wounds were gradually healing.

“Are you hungry?”

I quickly brought a bowl filled with fresh, delicious greens and placed it on the table.

“Here, eat this.”

Carefully approaching the sofa, I held the greens up to its mouth. But the bunny just shook its head.

“Don’t you have an appetite?”

Again, it shook its head weakly.

It needed to eat, though. Why wasn’t it?

“If Bryce were to give it to you… would you eat it?”

“Beep?”

The bunny made a curious sound, as if asking what I meant, its expression completely baffled.

Hmm, so it wasn’t refusing to eat because I was the one offering it.

I set the greens down on the table for now.

Gently stroking the fur on its front paw, I tried coaxing it, but the bunny remained listless.

What was wrong? I was starting to worry.

Should I take it to a doctor?

“Beep…”

But then, the bunny’s eyes suddenly widened.

“Beep!”

“Golden Bunny?”

The bunny sprang up, leaped out of my arms, and hopped onto the table. Step by step, it approached the bowl of greens I had placed there.

Did it finally decide to eat?!

I instinctively widened my eyes and watched the bunny closely.

I’d been so worried because it wouldn’t eat, but finally!

The bunny used its front paw to pull the greens closer.

“Do you want me to help, Golden Bunny?”

The bunny shook its paw in refusal and suddenly picked up another piece of greenery from the bowl.

Then it carefully placed it next to the pile it had already created.

“…?!”

What was it doing?

I held my breath and silently observed the bunny’s actions.

When I finally realized its intention, I shot up to my feet.

“Golden Bunny! Don’t tell me! Are you writing something?!”

“Beep.”

The bunny nodded, confirming my suspicion.

“No way, this is incredible!!”

The bunny! The bunny was trying to send me a message!

“What an amazingly clever bunny!”

Wait, would the bunny find it strange if I acted as if writing letters was completely normal?

“This is unbelievable! I’ve heard of such legends—bunnies that understand human speech and can even express themselves. Who would’ve thought our Golden Bunny was one of them? I’m utterly amazed!”

That sounded natural enough, right?

Anyway, my little bunny was so impressive!

What could it be writing?!

The bunny shot me a glance as if to say What are you gawking at? but then went back to focusing on its writing.

m…

I widened my eyes as I began to read the message the bunny was crafting.

…me…at.

“Do you want to eat meat?”

“Beep!”

The bunny chirped brightly, clearly affirming it. Its soft black fur stood up slightly, reflecting its excitement.

“You should’ve said so earlier!”

“Beep.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know and just kept feeding you vegetables.”

I mean, I know you’re technically a person, but because of your bunny form, I just kept giving you carrots and greens.

Of course, people need meat to survive…

“Malon! Malon!”

At my call, Malon rushed over. I quickly pointed to the leafy message the bunny had written.

“What is this, my lady?”

“Read it.”

Malon squinted his eyes.

“…Meat.”

“Exactly. Bring some meat!”

I exclaimed excitedly, but Malone looked slightly bewildered. Meanwhile, the bunny gazed at him with sparkling, hopeful eyes, like it was watching its savior.

“There’s some leftover meat from breakfast…”

“Perfect!”

At that moment, the bunny’s stomach growled loudly.

Although it pretended not to notice, the source of the sound was unmistakable.

As soon as Malon brought the meat, the bunny happily devoured it.

This was the first time I’d seen it look so genuinely delighted and energetic since it had arrived here.

For a moment, I wondered if it was okay for a bunny to eat meat, but then I remembered that beastfolk didn’t follow such dietary restrictions.

“Is it good?”

“Beep.”

“Our Golden Bunny eats so well.”

As I fondly watched the bunny, a knock came from outside.

“Sister, it’s me.”

“Bryce?!”

Hearing Bryce’s voice, I quickly ran to open the door.

Standing in front of the door, Bryce hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Sister, you’re… raising that bunny, right?”

“I’m not raising it; you’re going to.”

Ignoring my words, Bryce continued with his own question.

“What should I do to…?”

Wait, was Bryce actually asking about the bunny?

“Are you interested in the bunny, Bryce? It’s eating right now. Come in and—”

“What the—what’s wrong with that bunny?!”

“What do you mean? It’s our bunny.”

“I know that! But it’s eating meat! And not just any meat, but well-seasoned meat!”

The bunny, who had been enjoying its meal, froze and blinked its round eyes.

“Beep.”

It let out a soft sound and, noticing Bryce’s intense gaze, cautiously pulled its bowl closer.

It was clearly wary of him.

“Bryce, the bunny is finally eating properly. Why are you making such a fuss?”

“Because it’s bizarre for a bunny to eat meat! Especially seasoned meat!”

Now that I thought about it, it might seem strange from someone else’s perspective.

I glanced at Malone, who also looked a bit confused and cleared his throat awkwardly.

Hmm…

“Having traveled the world as a knight, I’ve come to realize that there are countless extraordinary things out there…”

I quickly concocted a story to pacify them.

“I’ve seen flying calves, springs that produce iron instead of water, and so much more. A bunny eating meat doesn’t surprise me at all.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Well, it was a little odd, but better to keep them from getting suspicious.

“This bunny isn’t a monster, is it?”

“What are you talking about? There’s no such thing as a monster this adorable.”

Although Bryce still looked skeptical, he seemed to accept my explanation to some extent.

“Anyway, what did you want to ask? Weren’t you going to ask about the bunny?”

“No, it wasn’t about that bunny… Never mind.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing. Rest well, Sister.”

“Why don’t you stay and watch the bunny for a while?”

“I think I’ve seen more than enough.”

Bryce and the bunny exchanged glances once again.

I could almost hear the crackling sound of tension between them.

Bryce shook his head, and the bunny pulled its food bowl closer, clearly staking its claim.