I Raised the Fallen Lop-Eared Rabbit into a Yandere 67

Chapter 67: New Year

The air was filled with the scent of grass.

Lina and Adele were both dizzy.

After the data reset was complete, the scene before Lina’s eyes finally became clear.

The moment she saw the villa before her, she was embraced by two women who rushed out from inside.

“Baby! My darling! Mommy missed you so much!”

The woman’s excited voice rang in her ear.

“Was the study tour with Teacher Adele fun this time? Were you tired? Let Mommy see, have you lost weight?”

The woman was very gentle, with a faint floral scent.

Mommy?

This was a very unfamiliar word to Lina.

She stared blankly at the woman. The motherly love she had once so desperately longed for was right before her, even more direct and ardent than she had imagined. But she was at a loss.

For a moment, she forgot how to respond.

Then, another arm wrapped around her shoulder, and a younger voice sounded, “Yo, you’ve finally had enough fun and are willing to come back? When you’re not at home, I can’t even blame you for breaking a bowl～”

Lina turned her head and met a face that was somewhat similar to her own.

It was her older sister.

The young girl clearly had happiness hidden in her eyes, but the words she spoke were deliberately roundabout, too proud to directly express her longing.

A strong sourness welled up in Lina’s nose. She bit her lip hard and forced a smile that was uglier than a cry.

This feeling of being hugged and cared for by her family made her panic, and even more, it made her want to cry.

The man standing not far away maintained a gentlemanly distance, smiling at the mother and daughters. Only after they had separated slightly did he walk forward with an exquisite paper bag.

“Baby,” his voice was steady. “The dress you said you liked last time was already sold out when Daddy went to look for it. But I’ve already asked someone to rush it. I’ll definitely get it for you. Mommy and I have picked another one for you first. See if you like it?”

As he spoke, he handed over the paper bag.

Inside was a goose-yellow, knee-length princess dress, the hem adorned with exquisite cream-white bows and small pearls. In the bag were also a pair of small and exquisite hair clips and a brand new pair of small leather shoes.

Lina stared at the paper bag in her hand, her eyes unblinking. The sourness and grievance could no longer be suppressed, and tears burst from her eyes.

She had a home.

She had a family.

She was not a pitiful creature that no one wanted, not someone who could only get a little bit of care and love by hurting herself.

Lina’s sudden tears scared everyone.

“What’s wrong, baby? Why are you crying?”

“You don’t like this dress? Mommy will go and exchange it for you tomorrow.”

“Did someone bully you? You tell us.”

The voices of her parents and sister were filled with pity.

Adele quickly stepped forward, gently patted Lina’s shoulder, and gave the others a comforting smile, explaining, “Lina is fine. She’s just… a little homesick. After being away for a trip, she’s just too happy to see you all, that’s why she’s crying.”

Hearing this, the woman wiped away Lina’s tears with a heartache, then habitually wiped the water from her fingertips on her husband’s shirt. The man smiled helplessly and indulgently, letting his wife do as she pleased.

Her older sister gently stroked Lina’s trembling fluffy ears and said with a smile, “Oh my, the little devil has turned into a little crybaby? You used to climb on the roof and throw cakes at home. How come you’re so well-behaved now?”

Adele, standing to the side, heard her sister’s careless words, but her heart was fiercely squeezed.

She quietly pinched her own palm to barely suppress the sob in her throat.

She would rather Lina be rebellious for the rest of her life.

The price of “becoming good”… was countless nights of blood and tears…

She hated the thief to death.

Her rabbit baby clearly had a very happy and perfect life.

The scene before her was as warm as a dream. Seeing Lina’s body gradually relax, Adele also gradually relaxed.

She believed that this belated family warmth might be more effective than any medicine in healing the wounds in Lina’s heart.

In the evening, the family had dinner together in the courtyard. The long wooden table was filled with home-cooked dishes.

Lina sat among her family, listening to her parents and sister chatter about daily life, and was made to laugh out loud.

Adele sat opposite her. Before long, a foot hooked her ankle again.

Bad rabbit, still a little devil after all.

…

After dinner, Lina and Adele took a walk to the farm. The haystacks exuded a warm scent. The returning cows and sheep were mooing and bleating.

The sky was a gentle pink and blue. Tomorrow would be another sunny day.

Adele looked at the pastoral scene before her and suddenly remembered the nightmare she had had in the royal palace after she had fallen off the cliff and been seriously injured.

In the dream, Lina had been forcibly taken away.

“So the farm I dreamt of at that time was here.” Adele sighed softly and held Lina’s hand tightly. “It’s good that everything is resolved now. No one can snatch you away.”

Lina snuggled in her embrace, looked up at the sky, and was already dazed by happiness. “…It’s so good.”

After a moment of silence, Adele asked softly, “Are you going back? Back to that world?”

Lina did not answer immediately.

She was silent for a long time before she finally spoke slowly, calm and firm. “I am.”

Adele was a little surprised. “Why?”

Lina should be utterly disgusted with that world.

“I do hate that place.” Lina looked at the freely flying birds and said, “But I want to change that place even more.”

She held Adele’s hand tightly.

“There are still many, many girls like I used to be. They are not living well. The Sacred Cult is not the only oppression. There are also many restraints and discriminations. I can’t be a distant savior and save everyone…”

For the first time, a look of compassion appeared in Lina’s eyes.

From fear to resentment, from gloom to rage, from peace to relief, and now to compassion.

She had once walked down a wicked path. Hatred had given her an incomparably powerful strength, allowing her to destroy everything, but it had not told her that the price was to destroy herself.

Love had held her back.

She had not gone from a victim to a perpetrator.

She chose to become a savior. The darkness of human nature, she had experienced it.

But she still chose to be good.

“I want to save them. I can do my best, in the places I can see, to solve the oppression I can solve. Even if I can only change a little bit, even if I can only save one person.”

A tear rolled down from Adele’s left eye.

She knew that the real Lina had come back to life.

“Okay.” Adele was as gentle as ever. “Wherever you go, I will go with you.”

The afterglow dyed the distant field ridges a warm golden color. The green grass swayed in the gentle breeze.

Suddenly, the braying of a donkey broke the silence of the dusk.

Lina and Adele followed the sound and saw a familiar figure riding on a donkey’s back, swaying along the field ridge.

The person was wearing a slightly messy shirt and vest, their hair a mess from the wind.

“Dilys!?” Lina’s eyes widened in surprise, almost thinking she had seen wrong.

Dilys was also stunned at the sound, reined in the donkey, and said in surprise, “My lord? My lady? You’re here too?!”

“Are you also from the book ‘The Ruler and a Drop of Tear’!?”

“No! My book is called…” Dilys took it out from her pocket. “It’s called ‘The Memoirs of a Legendary Accountant’!”

“Ah?” Adele was stunned.

Lina asked, “Then where are you going? So dusty, and riding a donkey.”

“Don’t mention it! It’s simply outrageous! The black-hearted boss evaded taxes, and when the scandal broke, he made me take the fall!”

The more Dilys spoke, the angrier she got, her voice rising a few shades. “Am I the kind of person who can be easily manipulated? I had to… I had to run away first!”

As she spoke, she subconsciously patted the bulging money bag at her waist.

It was filled with gold coins.

“I have to go now! Otherwise, I’ll be caught in a bit!” Dilys said, “When I’ve settled my donkey, I’ll go back to the manor! See you later!”

She chased the setting sun and left, the gold coins in her pocket jingling.

Adele and Lina looked at her fiery back and couldn’t help but smile at each other.

*

Two years passed in a flash.

The once dilapidated and dirty lower city was surrounded by construction boards and had entered a full-scale renovation period. The last dilapidated and old house collapsed with a roar. The smoke and dust gradually dissipated, and residential buildings rose from the ground.

The once muddy and sewage-filled streets were paved with flat stone slabs. Free schools sprang up like mushrooms after a rain. In the former activity places of the Sacred Cult, only the sound of reading remained.

The labor bureau was renovated. The low-lying and drafty shacks were all turned into warm and sturdy brick houses. New labor regulations were also posted at the entrance. The most conspicuous one was: daily working hours shall not exceed eight hours.

The number of girls entering and leaving the schools and women entering and leaving the court gradually increased. Women’s figures also appeared more often in job recruitment posts.

On the docks.

Herlkin was squatting, saying goodbye to a little girl in a brand new cotton-padded jacket.

“Sister Fox.” The little girl’s large eyes were sparkling with tears. She hugged the red-and-white large tail and asked, “When I go to the Women and Children’s Center, can I still touch your tail?”

Herlkin smiled gently and reached out to rub the little girl’s hair. “Of course you can. I’ll come and see you. But when you get there, you have to eat well, study hard, and grow up quickly, you understand?”

Two years ago, Herlkin and Haia had reported the situation of poor women to Lina. Lina had then told Huaguang. To this day, the Women and Children’s Center, which integrated medical care, education, and shelter, was officially completed.

The little girl nodded forcefully and said goodbye to Herlkin reluctantly.

“Goodbye, sister. I’ll miss you.”

“Mhm.”

After the little girl left, the once-courtyard became empty and deserted. All the women Herlkin had protected had gone to the newly built Women and Children’s Center. Her Sausage Gang’s territory was also about to be rebuilt into a seaside park.

Herlkin had long since dismissed her subordinates. A few of the girls who refused to leave insisted on following her. So they agreed to go back to the city after the new year and open a sausage shop.

A few crystal-clear snowflakes quietly fell. Herlkin raised her head, looked at the gray sky, and it was almost Christmas Eve.

She couldn’t help but think of the small wooden house on the snowy mountain.

She should go back and take a look.

In the evening, the last patient in the clinic left with their medicine. Haia packed up her medical equipment and picked up her luggage.

Her student, a young girl with innocent features but a firm gaze, said, “Teacher, be careful on the road.”

Haia looked at her with a gratified look, patted the girl’s shoulder, and said, “You can already stand on your own. I believe you can handle everything here. The clinic is temporarily in your hands.”

The girl straightened her back and said seriously, “I will! Don’t worry, Teacher. I’ll wait for you to come back after the new year.”

Haia nodded, went out, and got on a carriage heading for the snowy mountain cabin.

She wanted to go home and see.

On Christmas Eve, the lights in the royal palace study were still on. Huaguang was studying a city defense map, a hint of fatigue on her face. By her hand was a thick stack of approved official documents.

Yuan You, holding a bowl of steaming sweet soup, approached quietly.

She placed the soup bowl on the corner of the table, then walked behind Huaguang and skillfully began to massage her temples.

“…Mhm.”

Huaguang let out an extremely comfortable soft hum, put down the pen in her hand, and leaned back into Yuan You’s embrace.

“The new regulations are being implemented very smoothly,” Yuan You comforted. “Everything is developing for the better. The first phase of the renovation of the lower city has also been completed. Soon, everyone will be able to move into new buildings.”

Huaguang closed her eyes. “The road is long and arduous. To change something so deep-rooted is far more difficult than eradicating the Sacred Cult. There are too many things I want to do.”

She paused and touched the back of Yuan You’s hand. “For the first time, I feel that a person’s lifespan is really not enough. Can I see a new country in my lifetime?”

“You definitely can,” Yuan You said firmly. “Definitely.”

“To be with you, even five hundred years is too short for me.” Huaguang caressed Yuan You’s index and middle fingers, her movements as always revealing a frivolous, wicked intent, but the words she spoke were so tender…

Yuan You was still powerless to resist. She was hooked with just a tease. “…Master.”

The corners of Huaguang’s lips curved up. “I love you.”

Yuan You turned as red as an apple. “I love you too.”

It had been snowing all Christmas Eve. The entire manor was covered in a silver blanket. A warm bonfire was set up in the open space of the courtyard.

Dilys, with a group of servants, was having a lively outdoor barbecue. Everyone was laughing and celebrating the arrival of the new year.

The French windows were covered with handprints.

The two of them, after the fact, were out of breath. Lina was wrapped up like a dumpling by Adele, lying lazily on the bed, looking at the stars hanging in the sky. Her unfocused pupils gradually regained their clarity, and she said in a hoarse voice, “Adele…”

She murmured softly, “I feel like I’ve had a very, very long nightmare. Am I awake now?”

Adele held her even tighter, her chin gently nuzzling the ears on top of her head, making the person who was still in the afterglow flinch. She said gently, “It’s all over. Now you are the lord lop-eared rabbit.”

Lina smiled. The gloom of the past, with the company of her lover, the help of her friends, and the care of her family, could no longer stir up a single ripple.

She lay quietly in Adele’s arms. After a long while, she suddenly tilted her face up. The snow-light reflected the expectation in her blue eyes. “Then… when are you finally going to eat me?”

Adele gently tapped the bridge of her nose. “When this snow stops, I’ll take you home. I’ll take you back to the North Island.”

“Okay!”

“But…” Adele gently pinched the rabbit ball’s ear, in case she was handcuffed again. “I know you’re not full.”

Lina, following her force, brought herself to her mouth, a dirty joke coming out of her mouth. “F*ck me.”

The snowy mountains of Lantes were silent.

Herlkin, with one deep step and one shallow step, was treading on the thick snow. She finally returned to the small wooden house.

She took a deep breath and pushed open the long-sealed wooden door.

The moment she walked in, footsteps came from behind.

Herlkin followed the sound and turned her head, only to see Haia appear at the door.

Her shoulders were covered with snow, but her eyes were very gentle.

Herlkin was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and said, “Why are you following me again?”

This time, Haia did not explain, nor did she deny. She smiled openly and said, “I was worried about you.”

Herlkin’s heart skipped a beat. She deliberately put on a stern face and “hmpfed,” turning her head away and muttering, “…None of your business.”

But that fluffy large tail popped out uncontrollably and wagged with pleasure.

Haia chuckled. “Let’s light the lamp.”

Herlkin fumbled around. “It’s been too long since I’ve been back. I don’t know where the fire is.”

Haia couldn’t find it either.

Suddenly, all the crystal balls in the house lit up. The light purple light was warm and soft, dispelling the gloom in the house. At the same time, a fire also started in the fireplace.

The entire cabin became warm and cozy.

This sudden change stunned both of them, and they stopped their movements at the same time.

They seemed to sense something and abruptly turned their heads, looking toward the door.

A tall and slender figure stood quietly, blocking the flying snow. She raised her hand and took off her cloak.

It was Aomo.

“Teacher!” Herlkin pounced on her. “Teacher, why are you back!”

“To celebrate the new year.” Aomo looked at Haia again. “Have you been taking care of yourself?”

Haia’s eyes slowly turned red. “…I’ve been good.”

“Let’s celebrate the new year together.”

A new year, a new beginning.