Chapter 10

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Meanwhile, in the old royal palace, now the residence of the von Felsenstein family, a black rabbit named Kuu opened its eyes in Wilhelmine's room. It lifted its head from the basket that served as its bed and twisted its neck slightly.

(Come to think of it, she went out somewhere around noon.)

Kuu, who had been satisfied after eating its favorite apples and had taken a nap, looked around the room and confirmed that Wilhelmine had not returned. It then flopped back into the basket.

(When that woman caught me yesterday, I thought I was done for...)

Kuu twitched its ears, sniffed, and moved its limbs, thinking, "Hmm."

It didn't hurt.

The injured hind leg was a bit sore, but there was no grinding pain throughout its body.

It had managed to reach the grounds of the old royal palace with its aching body, but upon arrival, it was shocked to find that the place looked different from what it had imagined. The old royal palace, which had been deserted with only minimal guards, was now bustling with a large number of people moving about.

As Kuu crouched in the bushes and observed, several carriages soon entered the courtyard. Recognizing the carriages as belonging to the royal family, Kuu speculated that perhaps a dignitary from another country was visiting and the old royal palace was being used as their residence. Disappointed at the bad timing of its arrival, Kuu, who was in too much pain to move properly, decided to wait in the forest until the pain subsided.

Having only nibbled on an apple in the morning and not eaten anything since, Kuu planned to sneak into the mansion at dusk to find something to eat. Once the pain subsided, it would search for a place to hide the next day.

(Ideally, it would be a place where no one is around and I can shelter from the rain and wind.)

While thinking this, Kuu dozed off in the bushes. Suddenly, it sensed someone approaching. Opening its eyes to investigate, it saw a woman with flamboyant curls, who seemed a bit bossy but had a carefree expression as she walked by. The woman maintained her carefree demeanor for a while but then suddenly looked as if she had remembered something shocking. She fixed her gaze on a point and began to worry.

(Could this strange woman be a dignitary? No, but I feel like I've seen her somewhere before...)

Thinking about where, Kuu realized she somewhat resembled a portrait of his aunt that had been displayed in the castle where he had lived a few years ago. His aunt, his father's sister, had never returned home after marrying into a neighboring country.

(Could it be that my aunt and her husband have come?)

If so, it made sense that the old royal palace was being prepared. His aunt was a hero who had once fought alongside his father to defeat the demon king. He had heard that his aunt's husband had also fought alongside his father. There was no place more fitting to host the hero couple than the old royal palace. The main castle would be too unsettling, and the palace behind the castle was being used by his father, mother, and younger brother. It would be better for them to use the old royal palace without any reservations.

(If that's the case, could she be my cousin?)

Interest began to grow as he looked at the woman, whom he might be meeting for the first time. As she was about to turn away, he instinctively took a step forward, and she suddenly turned around, seemingly noticing his presence.

"Wild rabbit, there you are!"

Startled by the unusual cry that came from her, Kuu reflexively fled into the forest. However, with its current condition, it could only run a short distance. The intense pain that weighed heavily on its body made it collapse. The woman followed it into the forest.

"It's okay, don't be scared. I'll treat your wounds, okay?"

She picked up the immobile rabbit and spoke in a surprisingly gentle voice, which contrasted with her appearance. At that moment, the pain that had been grinding through its body suddenly eased.

(...?)

The pain had been fluctuating, sometimes hurting and sometimes not, but it had never disappeared so suddenly before. Kuu tilted its head and, upon feeling the softness of her chest, stiffened.

While it was unable to move, it was suddenly carried into the palace.

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