If You're Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 88
Ivan’s words cast an eerie silence in the office. Then, a polite knock echoed.
“Come in.”
Upon Ivan’s permission, the housekeeper entered, pushing a trolley.
“The butler asked me to bring you this, and I know you’re busy, but please do take a moment to take a break when you can.”
“Thank you, Margaret.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
Margaret was the first to approach Ivan, smiling from the heart—not the polite smile she’d given Ruby earlier.
Ivan gently asked the housekeeper, who was placing a light refreshment on the desk, “Has Liam communicated anything about Ruby?”
By now, the physician must have visited, and Ivan was curious to know if Ruby had quietly received proper treatment.
“…No, he didn’t mention anything in particular,” she replied.
“Is that so?”
He paused and thought of Ruby. Just remembering her from last night, whining about how much her calf hurt, lifted his sinking mood.
“That’s what she gets for underestimating the strength of wolf claws.”
“Pardon?” asked Mael who was close enough to Ivan to overhear his murmuring.
“It’s nothing.” Ivan waved his hand, dismissing the thought and the question.
Mael, sipping his tea, began discussing the recent events. No matter how much he thought about it, the entire thing was still a mystery to them.
“But how did the lady find them? Didn’t we know nothing about them for a hundred years?”
At his words, the room fell silent again. Even Margaret, who was pushing the trolley and delivering tea to the aides, pricked up her ears, curious to hear Ivan’s answer.
Ivan leisurely sipped his tea and replied nonchalantly, “Since she’s a rabbit, she probably figured it out.”
“…Huh?”
She must have found them while digging around, not giving up her habit of playing in the dirt.”
“Oh…”
It’s not a big deal, but Mael said it loudly, like he’d realized something.
“Ah, I see, that’s right! The rabbit people have a habit of digging burrows here and there, but our wolf tribe doesn’t have any business with the soil.”
“Right, even though we’re animal shifters, we can’t abandon basic instincts. Just like how we howl, the rabbit girl’s instinct is to dig burrows.”
“Huh? Then, the things discovered this time were found in a burrow? In that case, could it be that the rabbit folks are involved in this?”
Ivan was taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation. He had just thrown in that remark to hide the fact that Ruby could see ghosts, but now it had his aides coming to inaccurate conclusions.
Why did he want to conceal it so strangely when it could have been simply said that she could see spirits in the first place? Eventually, everyone would find out about her abilities, so why the unnecessary secrecy? Or maybe he wanted to keep her secrets to himself.
“It does sound plausible, but… Our tribe has had no connection with the rabbit folks from the past. Think about it. The young lady wouldn’t have been so surprised to meet us if they knew of us, but on the first day, she fainted just from the mere sight of us.”
“That’s true when you put it that way.”
“And rabbits aren’t the only tribe with a habit of digging burrows.”
“Right, even snakes dig burrows to live…”
The aides, who had been exchanging opinions among themselves, fell abruptly silent. It was strange that they hadn’t considered the closest tribe until now.
“The Serpent Tribe…”
Ivan’s gaze sharpened. For a long time, the Wolf Tribe hadn’t been on good terms with the Serpent Tribe.
No, most clans shunned the Serpents, who were known for their shady ways and their use of witchcraft.
“Were they the most friendly with the Golden Lion Tribe?”
In response to Ivan’s question, Mael replied, “I wouldn’t call it a friendship, but they fear the lions the most.”
“….”
Somehow, Ivan couldn’t help but think that the pink rabbits Ruby were looking for would be in the territory of the Serpent Tribe, not the Lion Tribe.
Tapping his fingers on the desk, he put down the teacup and commanded, “I want us to find out more about the Serpents. Investigate their habits, abilities, and the exact relationship with the Lion Tribe thoroughly. Also, see if they have made any suspicious movements recently.”
“Yes!”
It wasn’t confirmed yet, so he couldn’t tell Ruby, but Ivan was relieved that he could fulfill her request.
Just thinking about Ruby these days brought him satisfaction.
Margaret observed him quietly.
