Chapter 23

When Adrian glared at it with a strangely offended expression, the pink rabbit merely twitched its nose once and turned its head away, completely ignoring him.

“Just what is the true identity of this rabbit?”

The rabbit was anything but normal. It was a mere herbivore, yet instead of fleeing from humans, it attacked them. Even after experiencing it himself, Adrian found it hard to believe.

“It’s our runaway rabbit. It’s usually so sweet and gentle,” Ramona said, stroking its fur, unaware that this ‘gentle’ rabbit had just delivered a mid-air double kick to her guest.

“Mommy, who’s at the… Oh! Toto’s back!”

Raon’s face lit up with joy at the sight of Toto. Seeing its little master, Toto’s nose twitched excitedly.

“Alright! Let’s get inside first. Raon’s Dad, you come in too.”

Rubbing his arm, which was still tingling from the kick, Adrian stepped inside. He saw the rabbit taking up residence exactly where his documents had been. Toto began happily munching on some hay that Adrian had previously assumed was meant for starting fires.

“A runaway rabbit… Is it a pet?”

“It’s our house guardian. It’s an incredible fighter. Sometimes I think it’s a master of martial arts.”

“That’s right! Toto is a great fighter. It’s especially good at chasing away weasels trying to get at the chickens,” Raon added.

Normally, a weasel would hunt a rabbit. But seeing how his arm throbbed, Adrian didn’t think they were making it up. After gorging itself on the hay Ramona had specially dried, Toto plopped down on the floor, seemingly full.

“As expected, our Toto is even pretty when eating. Look at that, not a single strand left.”

Having finished its meal, Toto perked up its ears and wiggled its stubby-tailed rear.

“Toto, you must be tired after your long journey. Rest now.”

When Ramona placed a soft cushion on the table, Toto hopped up and landed perfectly on it, sprawling out immediately. Adrian’s brow slowly furrowed as he watched the display.

“No matter how I look at it, that is no ordinary rabbit. Could it be a legendary beastman…? No, that’s probably too far-fetched.”

At that moment, Toto’s whiskers twitched.

“What? Our Toto, a beastman? No way.” Ramona chuckled, stroking Toto as it rolled around lazily. The creature rubbed its face against her hand.

“That rabbit acts just like a dog,” Adrian remarked.

Displeased by his tone, Toto snapped its body upright and glared at him. Adrian, looking as though he couldn’t tell if he’d just been complimented or insulted, crossed his arms and asked, “How and when did you even meet this rabbit?”

“Hmm, it was the winter before last. I went to the mountains to gather firewood because we were running low.”

On her way back with a load of wood, she had found a pink rabbit struggling in a snare. When their eyes first met, the rabbit had frozen in fear of being eaten, and tears had begun to spill from its eyes. It had looked so pitiful, weeping silently.

Without thinking, she released the rabbit—which would have been a prized meal for someone else—and left a stack of firewood as payment for the hunter’s lost catch. She brought the rabbit home, and together with Raon, treated its injured hind leg. The leg healed perfectly, but the creature never left.

Trying not to get too attached, she hadn’t even given it a name. But then, it started disappearing every dawn. Sensing something strange, Ramona followed it one day and witnessed the rabbit engaged in a bloody battle with weasels targeting the coop. With its powerful kicks, the sly weasels were sent flying one by one.

She had wondered why the chickens were staying safe lately, but she never imagined their protector was a rabbit. After driving them all off, the triumphant rabbit had hopped over to her and rubbed against her legs. From that day on, she named the ‘Fighter Rabbit’ Toto. The brave Toto guarded the chickens faithfully, only ‘running away’ for a brief period every autumn before returning.

Adrian listened to the explanation, eyeing Toto with suspicion. It didn’t look like a normal rabbit at all. With that fur color, it was practically begging predators to eat it. Sensing his gaze, Toto turned its head toward Raon and naturally snuggled into the boy’s arms.

“Do you want to sleep with Big Brother today?”

Toto nodded. A smile spread across Raon’s face as he held the rabbit that clearly understood him.

“Raon, what about Daddy?”

Since Raon had recovered, they had been sleeping together in Ramona’s slightly larger bed. Adrian looked a bit hurt as he watched Raon cuddling the mysterious rabbit.

“Then Daddy can sleep with us too! Toto doesn’t toss and turn.”

Raon entered Ramona’s room, giggling while holding Toto. Adrian let out a low sigh. He had wanted some quality time alone with his son, and he didn’t appreciate the rabbit intruding.

“Raon’s Dad, how much longer do you plan on staying here sorting papers? Aren’t you going home?”

“Pardon? Ah, I do need to go back and finalize matters regarding Lady Neyno, but I thought it might take some time…”

“Even if it takes time, you should go. Isn’t it better to finish things properly? For our Raon’s sake.”

“What? O-Our Raon… Yes. Our Raon. Indeed! Ahem!”

Drinking the fragrant tea Ramona poured for him, Adrian found the word ‘our’ incredibly warm and sweet. It felt like a word that wove together a bond stronger than blood.

“Ahem, I shall head back immediately for our Raon’s sake. They say a man never loses by listening to a woman. While I am gone, I leave our Raon in your care.”

Even though he was leaving, he intended to leave personnel behind to guard the place in secret. Adrian quickly packed his things and stepped into Ramona’s room.

“Daddy?”

Seeing Raon call out to him with sparkling eyes, Adrian—who could now offer a warm smile in return—kissed the boy’s small forehead.

“Daddy, come sleep with us.”

“Sorry, I think I have to head home for a bit. Stay here with Mommy and be a good boy.”

“How many sleeps? One sleep? Two sleeps?”

“Hmm, I’ll be back in five sleeps. You must listen to Mommy while I’m gone. Understood?”

Adrian gently stroked Raon’s hair. He found it difficult to leave as his son whined softly for him to stay.

“Raon, if you’re going to keep holding onto Daddy while he’s trying to go to work, do you want to go back to the mansion with him?”

“N-no! I don’t want to go! I just want to live here with Daddy and Mommy.”

Having been deeply traumatized at the Cassius estate, Raon shook his head frantically. Adrian realized it was still too early to take Raon back to the duchy.

“Our little prince, you should say ‘Have a safe trip, Daddy.'”

At Ramona’s prompting, Raon scrambled out of bed. He followed them to the door, folded his hands, and bowed.

“Daddy, come back soon. I’ll wait five sleeps.”

“Right. I’ll be back soon. Ms. Ramona, I’m off.”

As he finished patting Raon’s head, Adrian suddenly took Ramona’s hand and pressed it to his lips. Seeing her freeze in shock, Adrian gave a refreshing smile, whispered something in her ear, and turned away. Ramona watched as he mounted a horse that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and galloped toward the Cassius estate with his retinue. She then picked Raon up.

“Shall we sleep together tonight?”

“Yes! With Mommy and Toto! And read me a book too!”

To comfort the melancholy child, Ramona read to him by the moonlight until he fell asleep. Suddenly, she looked down at the back of her hand—the spot where Adrian had kissed her.

‘I’ll be back in five sleeps, so don’t forget me until then.’

The words he whispered seemed to have lingered in her ear, leaving a mark. Rubbing her ear, Ramona wore a slightly exasperated expression.

“I’m not a child, how could I forget him?”

***

Upon returning to the Cassius estate, Adiel hurried to meet Adrian.

“The Duke has sent a letter.”

Adrian opened the letter immediately and let out a low sigh. The gist of it was that the Duke was currently ‘disciplining’ Count Neyno and stripping him of all the wealth he had been given.

After a quick read, Adrian stood before Aria’s door. Four knights stood guard like iron walls, bowing the moment they saw him.

“And Lady Neyno?”

“We are guarding her so she cannot take a single step out of the room.”

Satisfied, Adrian entered the room as the knights cleared a path.

“A-Adrian!”

A haggard-looking Aria jumped up from the sofa the moment she saw him. Having been kept in isolation, she looked at him with trembling eyes.

“Raon was very ill. I am late because I stayed until he recovered.”

“…”

Aria, who had encouraged the child’s illness, couldn’t bring herself to ask about his condition. She simply stood there like a criminal awaiting sentencing, biting her lip.

“Our engagement is annulled. I intend to announce that the responsibility for the broken engagement lies entirely with you, Lady Neyno.”

Aria wasn’t surprised; she knew this was coming the moment her secret about being the child’s biological mother was exposed.

“I have sent your child and his biological father to the Neyno estate. Raise him well among your family. A child is happiest in the arms of their kin.”

The child was entirely innocent. That was why Adrian had sent him to the Neyno estate. Now, Aria and the child’s father would have to manage their household, which was already in a difficult state.

“If I receive reports that the child is not being raised well, we will step in. We will take charge of his education and turn him into a proper person who takes after neither of his parents before finding him employment.”

‘Though it’s more likely your family will go bankrupt before then,’ he thought.