I Raised the Fallen Lop-Eared Rabbit into a Yandere 17

Chapter 17: Aunt

A large four-wheeled carriage was parked at the manor entrance, its gilded spokes shining dazzlingly in the morning light.

The coachman bowed and knocked on the carriage door, speaking cautiously, “My lady, we have arrived.”

After a long moment, a sound came from within the carriage. A maid pushed the door open a crack and said, “You may place the stool.”

The coachman kept his head bowed, not daring to look up, as if a ferocious devil sat inside the carriage.

“Yes.”

He jumped down from the carriage, placed a wooden step edged with brass, and then retreated several steps to stand behind the carriage, afraid of offending the noble’s eyes.

The maid, dressed in a trouser uniform, stepped down from the carriage first. She held out her right hand, which was covered by a white glove.

Even those who served her personally could not directly touch their master.

A moment later, a fair wrist emerged from the carriage.

Herlkin wore a pair of lace gloves, a bright purple long dress, and high-heeled boots made of crocodile skin. Her fiery red long hair was particularly eye-catching.

It was a flamboyance that transcended the era, yet it was so brilliant and unforgettable.

She placed her hand on the maid’s and slowly descended the steps, silent the entire time.

All who served her held their breath.

Lina also grew nervous. She had never known that Herte had a sister.

“Don’t be afraid,” Adele stood beside her, comforting her in a low voice.

“Mhm.” Lina straightened her shoulders. Since her meals had been adjusted, color had gradually returned to her face.

With Adele’s constant encouragement, she had also learned to look people in the eye. As her timidity receded, the look of suffering on her face also vanished completely. A well-tailored, luxuriously made long dress made her look even more radiant.

The butler, seeing Herlkin approach, went forward with a fawning expression. “I was not aware of your arrival. Please forgive my negligence.”

The maid stepped sideways and raised a hand, blocking the butler. “The lady does not like to be too close to men. Get lost.”

Herlkin ignored her subordinate’s rudeness. She raised her folding fan, pointed at the butler, then flicked the fan open, covering her nose. When she spoke, her voice was light and cutting. “You stink.”

The person stank.

The fawning desire to curry favor also stank.

The butler’s face turned beet red. He retreated to the side in embarrassment. The others in the manor who had wanted to flatter her also lowered their heads, afraid of bringing disaster upon themselves.

Herlkin’s gaze swept around, her disdainful and cold eyes finally resting on Lina.

She walked closer slowly, and only after stopping did she speak with deep meaning, “The one raising you is truly dedicated.”

Lina’s heart raced. In her nervousness, the two ears hidden behind her back twisted together.

She didn’t respond to Herlkin’s words, only calling out obediently, “Aunt…”

Aunt?

Herlkin’s distant, cold gaze turned blank for a moment at this soft call.

Adele caught her reaction and remained silent.

“Mhm,” Herlkin responded noncommittally, then turned to Adele. “This must be the young miss instructor.”

“Yes.” Adele nodded slightly, neither servile nor overbearing.

Herlkin looked her up and down and got straight to the point. “You’re not an instructor, are you? You don’t look like a believer.”

The words were like a clap of thunder.

The servants exchanged glances. Lina clutched the edge of her dress.

Adele’s breath hitched, but she quickly found her voice and retorted, “What do you mean by that? I’ve been teaching her for so long, and Herte suddenly sends someone to slander me. Is he trying to renege on the payment?”

Herlkin was also a mixed-blood human, half red fox. At this moment, her beautiful eyes shifted, and a faint smile played on her lips. “Just a joke.”

Say more, and you’ll misspeak more. Adele didn’t respond.

Herlkin changed the subject. “Since I’m here, I must complete the task he assigned me. How does the young miss instructor plan to demonstrate her results?”

Cold sweat broke out on Lina’s back.

“Lina studied too late last night and hasn’t rested well.” Adele politely declined. “I’m afraid it’s not convenient to demonstrate today.”

“It’s fine.” Herlkin immediately interjected, not even using the polite form of address. “I’m quite interested in the Sacred Cult myself. How about this: you teach me personally. We’ll see what you’re made of.”

Adele: ?

Lina: ?

Herlkin took off her lace gloves, revealing a pair of pale, slender hands. She threw the gloves to her maid, pointed at Adele’s shoulder with her fan, and said, word by word—

“Don’t you dare?”

“No!” Lina blurted out.

Herlkin looked at her, her brown, vertical pupils showing a hint of cunning. “My little niece is unwilling? Why is that? She’s not your girlfriend. What’s wrong with playing with me for a bit?”

The thought of the two of them being alone together made Lina’s heart clench.

Teacher can only be hers!

Possessiveness ran rampant. Lina’s tone grew sharp. “The Sacred Cult is extreme. I’m just afraid Aunt will get hurt.”

“Oh?” Herlkin was unmoved, even saying, “It’s fine. I would be honored.”

Lina’s breath hitched. She wanted to say more, but Adele smiled slightly and grabbed the fan resting on her shoulder.

“Have you thought it through?”

Herlkin looked her straight in the eye. “Of course.”

Lina was panicking inside. Besides that pathetic possessiveness, she was more worried about Adele.

A teacher who couldn’t even untie a knot was probably a complete novice. The moment things got real, wouldn’t she be exposed…

“Then go to the classroom and wait for me.” Adele was incredibly calm.

Herlkin lifted her skirt and walked away without looking back.

The crowd quickly dispersed. Lina pulled Adele into a corner where no one could see and said anxiously, “Teacher! Do you really know how?”

Adele’s expression was normal, as if everything was under control. “Don’t worry, I have a way.”

“Why did you agree to her?” Lina was overcome with jealousy. “What right does she have to make such a request?”

You can only be mine!

Lina didn’t say these words out loud.

But Adele had already completed them in her mind.

The thoughts of a younger person were too easy to guess.

Adele’s heart skipped a beat. This was the first time she had touched upon Lina’s little thoughts.

Why was she jealous?

Why was she possessive?

The answer behind it was self-evident.

Adele took half a step back. The calmness she had when facing Herlkin was completely gone.

Where did things go wrong?

Hadn’t she always been by Lina’s side as a teacher?

“I-I’m not questioning you.” Lina realized her behavior just now had been a bit extreme. Adele’s retreat was like a signal that she was about to be abandoned.

Lina was instantly flustered. “I’m sorry! I-I said the wrong thing, I’m sorry…”

“No!” Adele had just taken half a step back, but the moment she saw the little rabbit ball’s aggrieved expression, she threw caution to the wind and moved closer, so close that there was zero distance between them. “Lina…”

She lowered her head and whispered gently in her ear, “No matter what you say or do to me, I won’t mind. I will accept everything about you. Don’t be so insecure, okay? I won’t leave you.”

Lina’s pupils trembled. Her constantly falling body was once again held steady.

At this moment, she finally understood. What she had been attached to all along was not this warm embrace, but Adele.

It was Adele herself.

“Teacher…” Lina’s voice trembled. “Thank you.”

She didn’t know how to express her attachment. After thinking it over, just as she was used to apologizing, she replaced the thousands of sweet or sour little thoughts with a pale “thank you.”

Adele, while despising herself for wanting to cross the line, also very honestly accepted the little rabbit’s closeness.

She was not so despicable as to beautify her own impulses, nor so noble as to push Lina away directly.

They embraced each other, growing closer in their struggle. One was lucidly indulging, the other was innocently demanding.

People are greedy and insatiable.

For now, a simple hug could dissolve the pain. Smelling each other’s scent could soothe a restless heart.

But this was like drinking poison to quench a thirst.

In the future, even a storm might not be enough to satisfy.

The seeds planted at this moment, once they bore the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden, there would be no turning back.

But—

Love never needs a reason, and it certainly doesn’t need to look back.

The sea of desire is boundless; seize the day for pleasure.

…

Herlkin walked into the classroom alone. She stopped by a bookshelf and casually picked up a book.

After flipping through a few pages, her expression grew impatient.

Herlkin randomly took down three or five more books. After discovering they were all about the Sacred Cult, she lifted her skirt and kicked the bookshelf.

“Hiss—”

The solid wood bookshelf was firmly welded to the floor and could not be moved by human strength.

“My precious! Ah!”

The sole of Herlkin’s foot throbbed from the impact. She hugged her leg and hopped on one foot. Her red and white tail also fluffed up in pain.

“Herte! I’m going to skin you alive!”

…

The candlelight in the classroom was dim. The sweet incense burned day and night but couldn’t cover the metallic, damp smell. Every corner untouched by the sun was piled with exaggerated Sacred Cult props.

Adele held Lina’s hand. Before stepping into the classroom, she squeezed it tightly.

It was a silent comfort.

I’m here.

Lina returned the pressure, her fingertips gently caressing the back of Adele’s hand.

A pair of white wolf ears popped out with a “poof.”

Lina seemed to sense something and turned her head, but found nothing unusual.

Adele’s face was calm and composed, but in reality, she was already sweating profusely.

That was a close call…

She rubbed her hot human ears and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, led Lina inside.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” Herlkin was leaning on the tea table, her head propped up by one hand. “Hurry up.”

Adele ignored her. Instead, she carefully stacked two thick, soft cushions together and said to Lina, “Sit. I’ll always be within your line of sight. If you feel uncomfortable, call me immediately.”

She paused. “No toughing it out.”

The classroom had left too many dark shadows on Lina. From the moment she walked in, she had been cold all over. She didn’t want to hold Adele back and had been silently enduring.

But Adele had once again seen through her pretense, tirelessly pulling her out of the abyss.

“With Teacher here, I’m not afraid.” Lina gave a big smile and said in an obedient voice, “I’ll just sit here and wait for you.”

Adele patted her head. After she turned around, the favoritism in her eyes that was reserved only for Lina quickly dissipated.

She walked expressionlessly to the opposite side of Herlkin and, only after sitting down firmly, did she speak unhurriedly, “There are no other eyes here. We might as well speak freely.”

Herlkin stared at her. “You’re not stupid.”

Adele looked her straight in the eye. “There are indeed Herte’s spies among those servants. You were afraid it would be inconvenient to talk, and I had my reservations too. But now we can get straight to the point.”

The white wolf’s gaze was extremely penetrating, cold and sharp. “Why did you really come here today?”

Red foxes are wild and untamable. They are people who make a living in the wilderness. In the dictionary of their clan, the word “fear” does not yet exist.

“Lina, I’m taking her with me,” Herlkin said bluntly.

“No!”

“No!”

Lina and Adele spoke at the same time.

Herlkin had a short fuse. She pointed at the little rabbit sitting on the edge of the stands and said urgently, “I’m your aunt! You’re not coming with me, you’re going with her?! Do you know what her status is! Do you still want to get…”

She stopped herself in time, not letting the word “beaten” escape her lips.

“Don’t yell at her!” Adele also raised her voice. “And what makes you such a good person? To be able to afford a four-wheeled carriage and have people wait on you when you go out, you must be doing well. If you really wanted to take her away, what were you doing before?”

“I only found out I had a niece a week ago! I wanted to get her to my side immediately!” Herlkin pointed a finger at Adele’s face. “I know what kind of person Herte is better than you do! He’s a bastard!”

As she spoke, she took an oilskin bag from her purse and dumped the magpie corpse inside it out.

“Take a look. If I hadn’t stopped it, Herte might already be on his way back!”