If You're Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 74
Ruby looked at them curiously. Why would they run away from Ivan and avoid him now?
In any case, the emotions of the spirits were beyond her understanding. As she stared at them in disbelief, Jack shouted brightly.
‘Big sister hooked up with alpha! If you mess with the alpha, you’ll be in big trouble, so run away!’
“…You, who taught you such naughty words?”
‘Tsk, just because I died when I was young doesn’t mean I’m forever a child, right?’
Ruby stifled a laugh as she watched Jack disappear with a smirk on his face.
Yes, she almost forgot about the nature of spirits. She shouldn’t be fooled by appearances—she almost forgot because was reminded of her younger siblings in the village.
But Ruby decided to keep an eye on Jack. She decided to trust the color and smell of his soul, which was a little different from the others.
“I haven’t said anything…” said Ivan.
“What? I wasn’t talking to the Duke?”
Ivan’s brow furrowed as he glanced at the four servants behind Ruby, who were standing in a respectful posture. John was the first to kneel.
“Greetings, alpha!”
“…Greetings, alpha!”
The rest of the servants followed suit and fell to their knees in quick succession. Ivan silently looked down at them before slowly opening his mouth.
“Very well. Which area do you work in?”
“Yes, we mainly take care of cleaning the garden and courtyard. Occasionally, we also handle moving things around within the mansion.”
“I see.”
Ivan pondered for a moment, his gaze lingering on Ruby. She, on the other hand, was staring off into the distance. Judging by her demeanor, it was clear she had revealed her abilities to these people.
Of course, she might have to explain her abilities once all the vassals gathered for the meeting. After all, it was her tribe’s unique ability.
However, Ivan believed she shouldn’t disclose it to just anyone willy-nilly. Just as he was about to voice his concerns, John bowed his head to the ground.
“We’ll keep it a secret! Please trust us.”
It was an answer that clearly indicated he had caught on to what Ivan was thinking. Strangely enough, Ivan didn’t like that. Anyone working for him was surely well-vetted, but he couldn’t help but be suspicious.
Liam watched Ivan uneasily as his master stared—almost glared—at them without saying a word.
It was then that Ruby interjected innocently.
“Oh, I almost forgot to mention earlier. Um, she might be a widow, the woman named Beryl.”
“…Understood. We’ll be sure to find her.”
“Well, yes. Promises should be kept, right?”
Ruby was more or less talking to herself, remembering the words of the first wolf spirit she’d seen here. But John and Ivan had different thoughts upon hearing her words.
John vowed to fulfill her request, and Ivan felt a strange sense of regret. Why would she ask someone she just met today for a favor when Ivan was right there and available?
Ivan’s hard feelings were clearly etched on his face.
Ruby noticed his pursed lips and murmured, “Hmm, do you feel a chill? There are no spirits around, though…:”
Even though there were no spirits present, Ivan narrowed his eyes and displayed his discomfort. It was a look she’d seen every time a spirit had appeared, so Ruby wondered if there was one she had missed.
Ivan sighed. “What on earth were you doing here? Is this why you were late last time too?”
Ruby felt strangely upset at his grumbling words, even though she had already apologized for being late last time.
“What do you care what I do on my own time?”
Without realizing it, the words came out more curtly than she intended. She was in a bad mood now, too.
