Chapter 80
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“I won’t let you get away!”
Just as Ivan’s mind was drifting into a daze, a voice rang violently in Ivan’s ears. The voice was fueled by malice and terribly unsettling.
“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you! I’ll tear you limb from limb!”
It was a familiar voice, one he’d heard a few times before. But regardless of his familiarity with that voice, the harshness and strangeness of the words stirred Ivan’s frozen body.
His feet felt strangely heavy, even as he realized he had to save Ruby. What was the sensation he just experienced?
“If you can kill me, then go ahead and try! How long are you going to drag this on? I’m starving to death here.”
Ruby was clearly irritated. She wanted to wrap it up quickly and get back before Ivan finished work, but Leslie had ruined all her plans. The sun had already set while she was on the run, and before she knew it, Ivan had come looking for her. She didn’t want to be seen like this, so she deliberately pretended not to notice Ivan.
Louis, who had been with her the whole time, said:
‘Now that Ivan is here, this should be over with quickly.’
In response, Ruby pursed her lips and muttered, “I didn’t want to keep relying on the Duke like this, you know?”
Of course, the whole point of her traveling to this place was to get help from him. But at some point, Ruby realized that she didn’t want to be dependent on Ivan.
Or more precisely, she wanted to be his equal.
“Haha! Now, you won’t be able to jump with that leg, right?”
Leslie exclaimed, her eyes twinkling as she crawled up to Ruby’s side. Ruby stared down at her, then glanced over at Ivan standing on the ground.
He looked stunned, then puffed to himself like a person trying to shake off their stupor, then tried to climb the tree like Leslie.
Ruby called to him in a low voice from the treetops, which were almost as high as the mansion.
“Ivan.”
She wished he could call her by her first name, just as he called him by his first name, but given their rank, it was impossible.
Still, if she called him with a quiet voice from this distance, no one would know. Well, except for Louis, who had been by her side the entire time.
‘You…’
“What, are you going to tell the Duke? You can’t do that, right?”
Ruby made a mischievous smile towards Louis, wrinkling her nose. In doing so, she didn’t notice Ivan’s gaze fixed on her. She didn’t see how wide his eyes had gotten or the fact that tips of his ears were red as fire.
“Pant, pant…H-Here we go. Ungh!”
Meanwhile, Leslie reached the branch Ruby was standing on. The wobbling rabbit was within her arm’s reach.
Leslie assessed her precarious position and decided pushing Ruby off wouldn’t be a bad idea. If she fell from this tree, the tallest around here, something would probably go wrong, and it would go wrong badly.
Of course, it would be best if cracked her head and died, but it wouldn’t hurt to have that sneaky rabbit cling to her for dear life and earn the Duke’s displeasure.
Leslie thought it would be better than what Ruby deserved.
Leslie laughed almost to the point of tears at the thought of catching Ruby. She felt a mixture of disbelief and elation that she’d gone to all this trouble for a mere herbivore.
“Any last words?” Leslie said to Ruby, feigning generosity.
At that moment, Louis muttered beside her.
‘Disgusting. I can’t believe such a wicked creature is a wolffolk…’
The finishing tongue-lash was so exquisite that Ruby couldn’t help but giggle. She had no intention of letting Leslie catch her like this.
“Mr. Louis.”
‘Yes.’
“Would you hold my hand?”
“Have you finally lost your mind? Who’s Louis?”
Ignoring Leslie’s interruption, Ruby held out her unbraceleted hand toward Louis. He took it, dumbfounded yet mesmerized.
“Think of it as flying!”
Avoiding Leslie leaping towards her, Ruby jumped forward.
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Erica