CH 25

“Rabbit, rabbit. I will not eat you.”

“…N-No. But you’re a lion…!”

“I’m vegetarian.”

“… Vegetarian…?”

“Yeah. I’m vegetarian, so I eat hay like you… Yaaawn.”

“W-What?!”

Jumpㅡ    

I was so immersed that I woke up in surprise.

Agasa, who was closing the book, blinked his bored eyes.

“Sorry, Miss Baby. It was my yawn as it was just too boring.”

“Again, do it again! The immersion is broken!”

“…What on earth is fun about this?”

He frowned and muttered, yet he obeyed my command and continued his lines.

A fine morning.

This storytelling unfolding on the field was a romance book called [The Contract Relationship between the Lion Princess and the Rabbit Baron] recommended by Lisa.

[P-Princess. T-T-That book I will recommend in 14 years. Instead, how about this now?]

[What.]

[It’s the story of Princess Lion and Baron Rabbit. It feels like what Princess wanted, a meeting that overcomes the difference in social status.]

…And it’s also universal.

‘…Her muttering to herself was a bit suspicious, but.’

In any case, Lisa’s recommended book was very successful.

“Chew, chew.”

“I-Is it really true what the Princess said? She’s a lion, but she eats hay like me… Shall I ask if she would like to come over and eat togetheeer?”

My mouth dropped open as I was moved by Agasa’s delicious performance.

In particular, him interpreting the lines of the terrified Baron Rabbit by adding ‘Ma’am’ at the end of every remark was enough to tug at my heartstrings as a fan of [The Contract Relationship between the Lion Princess and the Rabbit Baron].

Clap, clap, clapㅡ  

“Bravoooㅡ!”

I gave a standing ovation, proud of the unexpected discovery of talent.

As I silently raised my thumb, Agasa laughed as if it was ridiculous.

But, as expected of a famous actor.

He kept his acting tone to the end and nodded his head.

“Are you satisfied now, Your Highness?”

“Yeah. I wanted to hear that line again, but there is no other talent like Aga.”

Next time I’m bored again, I’ll have to ask him to do it.

‘As expected, people have to read.’

This romance, read and referenced for Sian, was a story about a lion with a relatively high status lowering herself for a rabbit.

‘If I have to compare this, the lion is me, and the rabbit is Sian…’

It was simple.

I, as a princess, need to make Sian lower the barriers with the nobility by experiencing his daily life.

I was deep in thought, and I suddenly woke up from my thoughts.

This isn’t the time.

It’s lunchtime soon, so I’ll try it soon.

“Come on, Agasa!”

“Where are we going?”

“To eat hay. Because I’m a lion!”

“Let us go after you take the hay off the hem of your dress. Haven’t you been rolling around in the field since a while ago?”

“Ooh!”

It was the time when I overheard Agasa’s words as I rushed away.

“…The reality is, if a lion eats hay, it will get sick.”

Maybe.

It seemed so.

Agasa must have advised me that way before I ran.

***

“Is Sian inside?”

“Yes. He’s inside now.”

Peekㅡ

When I stuck my head through the crack in the door that a maid half opened, I saw him.

Did he leave the window open?

His fine blond hair was disheveled in the breeze.

Between the dense light brown eyelashes.

The dark eyes, where the deep darkness was sleeping, stared out the window.

What is he thinking?

It was an expression of concern.

‘…With a face like that, he wouldn’t simply get a slave role. Is Sian also one of the extras?’

“…What are you doing here. Are you okay?”

I was sticking my head out through a crack in the door when a soft shadow suddenly enveloped me.

It was Sian.

He cautiously approached me and checked my condition, as if I was strangely spacing out

“…Are you really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m completely normal!”

He smiled, yet he wrinkled his brows.

“No. At that time. You were dragged.”

“Huh?”

If it’s about that time.

“Your socks were taken off, and you were dragged along.”

Ugh.

‘To think that he dug into my dark history with a calm tone.’

My hand slipped from the doorknob and fell from the dizzying attack.

Agasa, this brat.

I need to get rid of his habit of messing around me without permission.

“Yeaaah. Well, I did something wrong then.”

Contrary to what I said, my eyes, thinking of Agasa, were increasingly raised in triangles.

“… Then why…”

“?”

‘Look at this, Sian keeps asking questions?’

“Ah, no.”

Surprised at his own questions, he shook his head.

“Huh? Didn’t you want to ask something?”

“…No.”

But it’s written all over his face.

Why are you being scolded so rudely? I’m very curious, he said.

My friend is curious and I need to tell him!

I was excited and answered honestly.

“Aaahㅡthat! I was going to destroy the Vallois family’s classified documents!”

“?”

“And the next day, I fell face-to-face with you, a slave in the hallway, so I must have been chosen as someone in the spotlight in Vallois Castle now!”

“???”

His narrowed eyes became rabbit eyes.

You were curious and I gladly answered, so why are you surprised?

“…You,”

He couldn’t bear to say the last word, so he put on a startled expression.

He must have been really surprised by the remark beyond his imagination, and even the anxious expression, showing that he was wary of me, collapsed.

Why do I feel like I’m getting scolded by Sian too?

“Ahem! Anyway, since I was scolded and reflected on myself, it’s okay now! So let’s go have lunch with me!”

“…Vallois won’t let it go if we continue to meet.”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m cheating without Dad knowing.”

“…”

His eyes narrowed at my nonchalant words.

“… Then your parents will scold you. That you become a bad kid.”

“Sian. Being scolded and being a bad kid are two different things. Acting according to my judgment doesn’t make me a bad kid.”

I really wanted to look good for Sian.

… Just a few days ago, I was scolded by Agasa, sob.

“Then let’s have lunch together.”

Grinㅡ

Without any care, I laughed like a prankster.

There was an expected silence.

“…”

With a feeble frown, he neither refused nor accepted.

It meant that he couldn’t refuse my order as a princess.

***

Operation [Lion Eats Hay] proceeded as planned.

Munch, munchㅡ 

Munchㅡ 

Two pieces of wheat bread placed on a long marble table fell from the hands of the servant.

With the feeling of a knight going to war, I took a bite of bread and asked.

“…”

In fact, it didn’t make sense for lions to eat hay in the first place.

There is an imbalance in nutrition, and the taste isn’t familiar.

But, Billishia.

Sian is a rabbit

I ate the hay I had been chewing and held back the urge to spit it out.

Possessing as a lion princess, I chewed bread as if polishing my sword.

“…Whoa. It’s. De. Li. Cious.”

It’s terribly tasteless.

“Have you already eaten, Sian?”

I smiled and chatted.

He, who had been sitting quietly, consciously treated the servants with respect.

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief.. Shall we have dessert then?”

“…Please do as you wish, Princess.”

Unlike earlier, when he was constantly expressing his thoughts, Sian nodded his head without much complaint.

I hurriedly called Lisa and whispered.

“Lisa. Dessert made by Higgs, please.”

“Should we go for the strawberry cake as usual?”

“…No. That’s not enough this time. I would like Higgs’ signature dessert.”

“…Isn’t that the signature dessert that the Imperial Family enjoyed eating?”

“Yeah.”

Gasp. Signature dessert.

Lisa’s face stiffened seriously.

It was a really serious situation for me to make a different choice after insisting on strawberry cake.

“… But do I have to prepare one for that slave?”

“Of course. He’s eating with me.”

“Princess. But eating with a slave is already…”

“Shush! I will listen to my friend.”

When I secretly warned Lisa with my ax eyes, she became depressed and said “Yes…” while groaning then disappeared.

Soon the signature dessert was ready in Lisa’s hands.

‘On the outside, it looks like just a snowy cake sheet. I have to believe it because it’s Higgs.’

“Sian, it’s not because I want to eat it, but as friends, we have time to think about each other’s point of view. Bon appetit!”

“…Princess!”

I had my mouth wide open.

On the other side, his black eyes seemed to have opened up finely.

However, having lost my sense of taste, I hurriedly tried to shove the cake, Higgs’ cake, first.

It was then that it happened.

Clink!

“I bet your master never ordered you to get up.”

Agasa’s cool tone made my mouth stiffen.

‘?’

I came to my senses.

I dropped the fork I was holding as a bleak blade draped beside me.

‘W-What is it?’

I moved my gaze to the pointy blade.

Sian was up with a chair thrown around.

Five blades reached the end of his neck.

The sword that touched Sian’s neck without an inch of error was so sharp that even a quick breath would make him bleed.

“She asked you if you were coming and you seemed to think you were a pet cat. Where did you learn how to stand up with your own will despite being a slave?”

The owner of the blade next to me was Agasa.

All the swords in the restaurant were pointed at Sian.

Howeverㅡ 

“I think you’d better not eat that dessert.”

An unwavering voice broke the ice-like silence.

“…Me?”

“You have a chocolate allergy. There is chocolate in that dessert.”

The black eyes fixed on me were trembling weakly.

It wasn’t because of the sword.

He was like someone who ran out of the distance when he saw me about to take poison.

‘…Ah, a chocolate allergy.’

I finally understood the situation and took a breath in surprise.

I lied to feed Sian chocolate bread.

“…Y-Yeah. S-Sian saved me, what would have happened if I ate this!”

“Miss Baby. Are you allergic to chocolate?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah. So put down the blades! These braaats! The swords without the Princess’ command!”

Belatedly, trying to keep my body straight, I put my hands on my waist and shouted.

“Sian was five-year-old before he was a slave! He’s a being that needs to be protected!”

“…It is I who will be killed by His Grace.”

As I awkwardly shook my hand, Agasa put a hand on his forehead and pulled out the sword.

Haaㅡ 

I almost died trying to catch a rabbit.

When the situation calmed down, I wiped off a cold sweat and sat down in my chair.

But something was off.

How does Sian, who didn’t even know how to eat steak, know about a high-end dessert that I haven’t tried?

Let’s stare at Sian with ambiguous eyes.

He frowned, perhaps regretting his impulsive actions.

It was a very strange thing.