If You’re Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 40 - Don’t Be Tempted by the Carrot

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‘Ack! She’s here!’
‘Don’t get hit by her hand!’
‘Run away!’
‘Oh, what a shame!’
‘I thought we were going to have some yang energy after so long!’

Whirling her arms, Ruby glared fiercely at the fleeing spirits.

However, one of the spirits suddenly stopped in their tracks and muttered,

‘Wait, there are so many of us. Shouldn’t we stand our ground for once?’
‘…Huh? Really?’
‘Yeah, let’s sacrifice someone.’

The scattered spirits began to gather back in one place. Ruby was astonished by their behavior, especially by those gathering near Ivan.

‘I’m definitely going to get some of that yang energy today.’
‘Right, if I consume the wolf person’s energy, I’ll become even stronger.’
‘We must eat it.’
‘Yes, we must.’

Ruby narrowed her eyes at the ongoing remarks from the spirits. They seemed somewhat different from the spirits she was familiar with. Normally, spirits would have fled immediately upon Ruby’s appearance. While occasionally some spirits might have been slow to react due to their dullness, eventually, they all would have fled. The fact that they would even think of fighting back was beyond ridiculous—it was suspicious.

The spirits here seemed overly fixated on Ivan. Despite any lingering attachments or regrets, the sight of them fixating on one person made Ruby uneasy.

Amidst her contemplation, Ivan, sticking close behind her, murmured softly, “It would be somewhat awkward if you break the agreement on the first day, my Lady.”

He spoke softly yet assertively.

Ruby trembled but pressed on. She managed to hold herself back from running away like she did this morning with his attendants. Gritting her teeth, she restrained herself from displaying any signs of distress, knowing she couldn’t afford to show such an undignified display.

Without taking her eyes off the spirits’ suspicious behavior, Ruby replied, “I apologize for that, but as it turns out, I’m late because of work for the Duke, so you’ll have to forgive me.”

“…For me?”

“Something like that, I’m afraid, I was in such a hurry to get here that I didn’t even catch my breath.” Ruby took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Ivan noticed a leaf nestled in her pink hair. She looked like she’d just run through the woods, and he was relieved. He believed she would definitely keep her promise, even if they hadn’t formalized it in the contract.

An inexplicable faith in her surged within Ivan. He took a closer look at her, and his heart sank seeing her clothes torn in several places, as if they had been caught in branches.

“Why are your clothes…”

As if to forestall further questioning, Ruby swiftly raised her hand and tapped the earring hanging from her rabbit ear. The earring glittered, and before he knew it, a long staff appeared in her hand.

The staff had a large ruby ornament symbolizing the crimson moon. Ivan and Liam were stunned, unable to take their eyes off it. van, in particular, was overwhelmed by a renewed sense of vigor and could barely regain his composure.

He quickly checked her ears. The sealstone earrings that should always have been there were nowhere to be seen, and he swallowed hard. He realized this refreshing energy was her unrestrained yin.

That’s when Ruby thumped the staff.

“How annoying.”

Her voice was raspy, fierce, and unmistakably her own. Ivan stared at the back of her head, unable to hide his surprise.

“You dare to covet what isn’t yours, what is neither your place or your share.”

Thump.

With each hit of the staff on the ground, there was a crackle of energy. And if Ivan could feel it, there must have been a lot of spirits nearby. At the same time, he could feel the chill slowly recede with each blow of her staff.

“I am banishing you from the mansion from this day forward. You will not enter the manor again.”