No Entry Except for the Master - Chapter 44 - Looking for the Grand Duchess (2)

In conclusion, Lilith had become a runaway drifter. There could be some debate over whether it truly counted as running away, given that she had only gotten as far as the area near the castle wall, but for Lilith, it was a very bold decision.

Ever since meeting Teia, she hadn’t even stepped out into the courtyard without his permission, let alone the palace itself. So even though she hadn’t fully left the castle grounds, just venturing out to its very edge had taken tremendous courage. That was how much it had shocked her that Teia had discarded the gift.

Thinking the entrance would be too crowded with guests, Lilith wandered slowly through the more secluded parts of the grounds where people were unlikely to be.
She had run out blindly, whether in sadness or anger, but it wasn’t as if she planned to disappear completely.

She simply didn’t have the confidence to stand by his side, shining more brightly than anyone else, with a new cufflink glinting on his sleeve as if nothing had happened.

She was afraid that, if she stood beside him, people would whisper about how he kept such a lowly pet rabbit.

“Phew…”

The rabbit let out a long sigh. It was an important party, and even if one rabbit was missing, people would probably just assume she was somewhere in the palace. Once the party was underway and Teia had entered alone, she planned to quietly return.

She’d say she had dozed off in a corner. Teia was likely too busy to notice her absence right away, anyway.

The rabbit gazed wistfully at the distant palace. Bright lights spilled from every balcony. Though far away, her sensitive ears clearly picked up the music starting for the party.

I don’t want to hear it.

The rabbit curled up, pressing her ears flat with her forepaws, then cautiously lifted her head again. If the party had started, Teia must have entered by now. Resolving to head back soon and pretend to be asleep, the rabbit was just about to move when—

Rustle rustle.

A strange presence stirred nearby.

“Are you sure it’ll work?”

“Yes. They say even beasts the size of a house will go down after ingesting just a bit.”

“They said it takes about thirty minutes to take effect after drinking, right?”

“Yes. If dissolved in liquid and ingested, it acts that way. Once absorbed, it becomes hard to detect—top-grade narcotics.”

“Good. Even a Grand Duke won’t be able to strut around after being humiliated in front of everyone.”

The man chuckled unpleasantly as he received a small paper envelope. The person handing it to him, dressed like a commoner, had been temporarily hired as a laborer to help with the party. He bowed quickly, then ran off toward the back gate as if afraid of being caught.

Lilith, who had overheard the entire conversation, glared at the paper envelope in the man’s hand. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but she was sure it was something bad intended for Teia.

Cautiously, she crept toward the man, looking for an opportunity.
Taking on two people would’ve been too much, but with just one, she might have a chance.

Though the man kept a sharp lookout, he failed to notice his own feet. Silently, Lilith approached and with a sudden leap, snatched the envelope from his hand with her teeth.

Dudududu.

Clutching the envelope, the rabbit sprinted with all her might.
Glancing back, she saw the man chasing after her, cursing furiously.

If she’d thought it through, she would’ve headed for the palace or the main gate where there were more people—but all she could think of was running.

Then, up ahead, she spotted a pond and veered sharply toward it, deciding to dump the d**g into the water.

“Hah…hah… where the hell did this damn rabbit come from?!”

Unfortunately for the rabbit, the man was a well-trained professional. Handling dirty work for nobles, he was faster and more physically capable than most commoners.

Just before she could throw the d**g into the pond, the man managed to grab the scruff of her neck.