If You're Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 105
Ruby pouted at his words. It wasn’t that she disliked it. In fact, she was pleased by his insistence.
Everyone else kept drawing a line with her, treating her like a guest. Well, to be fair, she had put up that line herself. But then, they would always try to cross it, while constantly reminding her she was just a guest and giving her subtle hints to leave.
Ruby bit her lip harder, suppressing the urge to let it all out. She could feel the tension in her chest, the weight of everything that had been bothering her since her arrival.
She wanted to tell Ivan about how she’d been subtly disregarded by the staff, how she was treated like an outsider, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She didn’t want to seem like a crybaby.
After all, she was the future leader of the Pink Rabbit Clan, a role that demanded strength and composure. She certainly didn’t want to appear emotional, especially not in front of Ivan, who had a fiancée.
But since coming here, it had been hard to contain the gnawing anxiety that clawed at her from within. It was as though the unease refused to settle, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. If she spoke up now, she feared the tears might come, and that was the last thing she wanted. So instead, she chewed on her lips in silence, her eyes slightly downcast.
“…What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
Ivan, however, was growing increasingly concerned. This wasn’t like Ruby, the straightforward woman who either liked something or didn’t. There was never any ambiguity with her. The sight of her biting her lips as if holding something back, her eyes glistening with an emotion she wasn’t willing to show, troubled him deeply.
“Has someone else been bullying you?”
Ivan’s gaze hardened. He still hadn’t decided what to do about Leslie, but she was currently locked away in the dungeon. Too many things had happened in such a short span of time, leaving him with little room to address each matter properly.
And to make matters worse, he had summoned the Weaver family, planning to address them all together. They should be arriving soon enough.
After the Leslie incident, Ivan had been particularly more concerned with Ruby’s safety. So, when Liam asked if he should make the returning maid Ruby’s personal attendant, Ivan agreed, as the existing maids seemed to harbor a great deal of resentment toward Ruby.
Ruby, moved by Ivan’s kind question, couldn’t suppress the emotions rising within her any longer. Eventually, tears began to fall in large drops, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.
“…Ruby.”
“S-sniff… I… I miss Mom and Grandma so much…”
Hearing the outpouring of her feelings, Ivan couldn’t hide his look of sympathy. He had often thought that Ruby, who always appeared bold and fearless, might actually be trying to act tough on purpose. But every time, he was quickly deceived by her calm face, unaware that she was suffering inside.
Ivan quickly reached out, wrapping his arms around Ruby’s waist. He carefully pulled her into his lap, seating her on his thighs, and looked into her face.
He leaned in so close that their noses almost touched, gently wiping beneath her eyes with his thumb as he whispered softly.
“They’re going to be alright.”
“Well, how do you know that’s true?”
“They raised a brave rabbit, so there’s no way they’d be easily defeated.”
“Ugh, yes, that’s true. They’re very strict, and also very nagging… and…”
“Hmm, but looking at you, I think I can somewhat understand why they were.”
“…Tch.”
“Yes, go ahead and be sulky and cheeky, then.”
“When did I ever throw a tantrum like that?!”
Ruby’s voice was squeaky from crying. He shouldn’t have, but Ivan found it adorable. He couldn’t help but imagine nibbling a little bit at the delicate flesh of her inner lip.
He thought of running his tongue across the inside of her cheeks, which were already red and pink from the blush that had spread to the nape of her neck and the corners of her eyes.
The soft insides of her mouth must be the same as the one below he had previously explored so thoroughly.
